REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 115 



August, bluefish at Woods Hole are five inches in length and that by 

 the end of September they are seven or eight inches long. Bean records 

 the following specimens at Great South Bay, L. I., July 13, 3f to 3f 

 inches; August 27, 7\ inches; August 28, 3^ inches; and August 29, 

 6f inches. Seal found young, 5 to 8 inches long in the Potomac River, 

 September 20, 1899 (Bean, 1891). 

 In October they reach a length of six to eight inches or nine inches. When 

 the fish return in June they measure from eight to twelve inches. A 

 specimen thirteen inches was taken at Sand Blow trap on July 9, 1906. 

 On July 24, 1905, a few specimens eight inches long were taken at Dutch 

 Island trap. On August 23, 1905, many specimens ten inches long were 

 taken in the Sand Blow trap, and in the Hazard's Quarry trap, on 

 August 29, 1905, two specimens ten inches long were taken. Seven 

 specimens taken in Ducth Island Harbor trap on August 16, 1909, were 

 12+, 12f, 12i, 13, 12 1-5, 13^, and 12 inches long. At the end of the 

 season they are fourteen to eighteen inches in length. 

 The following is the record of certain feeding experiments carried on with 

 bluefish confined in the rearing cars of the lobster plant at Wickford 

 Experiment Station; 

 On August 8 and 10 a number of young bluefish were caught in the seine 

 and were placed in one of the rearing cars which had been provided with 

 coarse window screens of one-fourth inch mesh. When put into the 

 car there were already present in the water several thousand young 

 anchovies, about 20 to 25 millimeters in length. These the bluefish ate 

 during the first day. On several occasions a few Menidia and Fundulus 

 were given them to eat. On August 12, they were given as much raw 

 meat as they could eat, and this they devoured ravenously. They 

 were fed on meat again on August 15, and on Menidia two days later. 

 The average size of these bluefish on August 18, about ten days after 

 they were put into the car, was 140.8 millimeters, an average increase of 

 about 10 millimeters. On September 1, they were measured again, 

 having been fed meantime on several occasions with Menidia, Fundulus, 

 and other small fishes. The average length on this date, September 1, 

 was 174 millimeters. This measurement and the two which follow were 

 taken from the nose to the end of the fin rays, whereas the previous 

 measurements were taken from the nose to the base of the fin rays. 

 Between September 1 and September 8, the specimens were not fed. 

 On September 8 they measured 175.1 millimeters, showing an increase 

 during seven days of 1.1 millimeters. On September 8 a quantity of 



