106 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



(1898) says: — "taken only at Quisset Harbor, where during the past 



twenty-five years about half a dozen have been caught in a trap; all 



were about nine feet long." 

 Season in R. I.: Very rare; specimen in U. S. National Museum taken off 



Newport in August, 1872. A specimen from Ne'w^jort was reported by 



Goode (1884). 

 Size: Ten feet. (For description and pictures of young, see Liitken 



[translated by Bean,] Report, U. S. Fish Com., VIII, 1880, 375.) 



90. Tetrapturus iniperator (Bloch and Schneider). Spearfish. 



Geog. Dist.: West Indies north to Cape Cod. Reported from Woods 

 Hole (Baird, 1873). Between 1885 and 1890 many were caught in 

 Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, during July and August. 



Season in R. I.: Very rare. Specimen seven feet long taken at Block 

 Island in 1875 (Goode, 1880). Reported from Narragansett Bay (R.I. 

 Fish Com., 1899). 



Size: Seven feet is the usual length, weighs from 4 to 100 pounds. 



XIPHIID^. The Sword-Fishes. 



91. Xiphias gladius (Linniaeus). Swordfish. 



Geog. Dist.: Atlantic Ocean on both sides, most abundant between Cuba 

 and Cape Breton. Common off Cape Cod and Newfoundland Banks. 

 Common off Southern Europe and found in the Pacific. Common off 

 whole New England shore, especially on Georges Banks and off Block 

 Island. 



Migrations: Appear in the vicinity of Sandy Hook about June first and 

 fishing season continues off New England shore until the middle of 

 September. Disappears southward as soon as cold winds begin to blow 

 (Bean, 1903). 



Season in R. I.: In 1905 they began to reach Georges Banks about June 

 16. Twenty-two were taken in one day, sixty-one in a week. Began 

 to reach Block Island June 26, when thirteen were taken. One seen 

 off Sakonnet Point July 18. Leave Rhode Island waters in November. 

 Abundant in the years 1905 and 1906. From 1896 to 1908, 3,503 

 swordfish were shipped from Newport. In the following table the catch 

 of swordfish for each year, arranged according to months, is shoAvn: 



