PELAGIC ANIMAL LIFE 635 



merges finally into the Canary stream and the enormous whirl- 

 pool of the Sargasso Sea. A North European branch, after 

 reaching the British Isles, continues to the Norwegian Sea and 

 the North Sea. We may consequently distinguish various 

 surface regions in the North Atlantic: (1) the genuine 

 Gulf Stream ; (2) the eastern Azores current ; (3) the Canary 

 current; (4) the Sargasso Sea; (5) the North European Gulf 

 Stream. 



The last mentioned, which we crossed on our northern track, 

 receives a certain admixture of cold water from the Labrador 

 current, besides many animals from northern waters. It 

 appears from these considerations that the limit to the genuine 

 warm-water forms of the Atlantic follows a line parallel to the 

 axis of the true Gulf Stream water, the faunas to the north and 

 south of this line differing to some extent. 



Pelagic Commimities on the Coast Banks of the Atlantic. — 

 The chief aim of our cruise was to examine the pelagic life of 

 the open ocean, and our catches on the coast banks were there- 

 fore casual. On the coast of Africa, at Cape Bojador, quite Fishes of the 

 close to the shore we caught the young of the anchovy ^^^"'^^^ '^°^^^- 

 [Bngraulis encrasickohis), Clupea alosa, the sardine [Chipea 

 pilckardus), the horse mackerel {Caranx trac/mrus), and 

 Scombi'esox saurus. Together with the mackerel, the bonito, 

 the tunny, and the gar-pike, these fish are the most important 

 pelagic species on the coast banks. To these may be added 

 the great sharks : the blue shark {Carckarias glazccits), probably 

 the species most commonly captured by sea-faring people ; the 

 hammer-head [Zygcsna 77ialleus), which the trawlers get among 

 the hake on the coast of Morocco ; and several others. 



As far as we know, these fishes belong mainly to the coast 

 waters ; at all events the herring, mackerel, tunny, and gar- 

 pike spawn in the coast waters or their vicinity. On the other 

 hand, we found on our cruise the eggs and young of Sco7nbresox 

 so far from land that they may safely be said to spawn in the 

 open ocean, as is probably the case with Caranx. Many of 

 these fishes are probably widespread in the ocean, even if they 

 do appear in the coast waters. 



When journeying some years ago on the west coast of Fishery m the 

 France I was informed that a peculiar bonito and tunny fishery op^" o"^"^- 

 had recently originated in the Atlantic, carried out with deck 

 cutters which went as far as 150 miles off the coast of 

 France, the voyages lasting eight to twelve days. The fishing 

 commences in July and continues all the autumn, and is a kind 



