264 



? 



ulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



they also occurred off Shelburne in August, 1914 (Stations 10230, 

 10232). They occurred only twice in the quantitative hauls in 1914: 

 three eggs at Station 10304, one at Station 10318. 



Mackerel Eggs. — The Mackerel is commercially so important in 

 the Gulf of Maine, and so little is known of its spawning habits, or 

 migrations, that any records of its eggs are worth noting (Fig. 84). 



Mackerel eggs were taken, irregularly, in May, June, July, and 

 August, as shown in the following table, p. 265. 



Fig. 84. Mackerel eggs, in 1915. X, records of occurrence; A, 50 or more in 

 hauls. 



all 



The quantitative hauls yielded only one egg, at Station 10291, 

 singularly enough none, at the Station 10287 where Mackerel eggs 

 were most numerous on the surface. At Station 10303 no quantita- 

 tive haul was made. 



These few records show that Mackerel spawn irregularly over the 

 northern half of the Gulf throughout the summer. So far as they go, 

 they suggest the region off the outer islands from Cape Elizabeth to 

 Mt. Desert Rock, as the main spawning ground in the Gulf. But 



