BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 133 



REPORT OF A IV EXPI^OR0IV«- HKIP OF TBttCC STKAWEB FUSM HAWK 

 niV CHESAPEAKE BAY BIV THE EABLI NF-KIIiVC- OF 18S9. 



By Lieut. SZ. IL. TANTCEE5, U. S. W. • 



We left the navy-yard at 12.50 p. m., Saturday, and arrived at Point 

 Lookout at 10.45 p. in., where we anchored for the night. At 12.30 p. m., 

 before leaving Washington, we received 1,000,000 eod eggs in artificial 

 sea water: about 75 per cent, of them seemed to be alive. Upon our 

 arrival here they were put in three cones and a glass jar, and the hatch- 

 ing process commenced. The water was 40° at the surface and 41° in 

 the cones; specific gravity 1.0070, that of sea water being from 1.0240 

 to 1.0290. 



The eggs sunk at once to the bottom, and were, in consequence- 

 treated as shad eggs. About 00 per cent, were apparently alive on Sun, 

 day morning, but the development had entirely ceased; in fact, the 

 germinal disc seemed to have contracted. On Monday morning there 

 were but few eggs alive (about 1 in 500), and no development since they 

 were placed in the water of Chesapeake Bay. The germinal disc was 

 much distorted. It was difficult to find a live egg in the evening, and 

 the few discovered presented the same abnormal appearance. We have 

 found no live eggs this morning (Tuesday). Those that survived the 

 longest were strangely distorted, indicating, I think, that the trouble 

 was with the water. 



Nets were set Sunday evening in five fathoms opposite Point Lookout, 

 but no fish taken. We went to Saint Jerome's Creek early Monday 

 morning, and landed the lumber shipped for that place. At noon we 

 ran over to Barren Island, where the cutter was left, to set a gang of 

 nets; this vessel then went to the Patuxent, where another lot of nets 

 were set. The latter have been taken up, but no fish caught. At 9.45 

 p. m. the cutter returned with a few menhaden, taken near the bottom 

 in 20 fathoms water — no other fish in the nets. I propose using the 

 dredge and trawl here, then off Barren Island, and will set the nets off 

 Tangier Sound to-night; Cherrystone, to-morrow night; York River, 

 the following day, and then return to the Potomac. This programme 

 will depend on the weather. 



Steadier Fish Hawk, Patuxent River, February 28, 1882. 



My report of February 28 closed at 9.45 a. m. At 10 a. m. we com- 

 menced dredging in the deepest water at the mouth of the Patuxent 

 River to ascertain what life, if any, could be found in the bed of the 

 stream. We found it to be absolutely barren, and the towing net failed 

 to produce anything from the surface. 



Three hauls of the trawl were then taken off Barren Island in the 

 deepest water of the bay, 25 fathoms, the only results being a few young 



