2,2,6 AMERICAN FISHES. 



each stretch of coast line within variable but tolerably -well-defined limits, 

 are indigenous to the sea area adjacent to the sea-coast which they 

 frequent. 



"Thus the winter haunts of the Codfish on the Northern Labrador 

 coast are slopes of the great range of outside banks on that coast. The 

 summer haunts of the ' Winter Cod ' caught on the coast of Norway 

 during the winter season, are on the slope of the ' Storegg ' and its con- 

 tinuations which lie seawards from the Norwegian coast, following the 

 edge of the barrier separating the ' polar deeps ' from the shallower 

 costal seas. The seasonal movements of the Cod are reversed in this 

 case, purposely introduced, but have afforded a beautiful illustration of 

 the principles adopted and confirmed by Prof. Baird and the influence of 

 marine climate on fish-life." 



The depth at which Codfish are found varies greatly with the season 

 and locality. It is stated by Mr. Earll that they seem to prefer water 

 less than seventy fathoms deep, and that by far the greater numbers are 

 caught in from eight to forty fathoms. This generalization will doubtless 

 hold true for the whole coast of North America. Many of our corre- 

 spondents state that they are occasionally seen in the water two or three 

 feet in depth. In the course of some recent explorations by Prof. Agassiz, 

 Cod were found three hundred fathoms below the surface. 



In February, 1879, there was good fishing in three fathoms of water, 

 within a few rods of the shore in Ipswich Bay, while in May of the same year 

 large numbers were taken in one hundred and ten fathoms in the 

 channel near Clarke's Bank. 



It would be extremely interesting to know the extent of the migrations 

 of Codfish, from deep to shallow water and back again, on different parts 

 of the coast. This, however, varies with local conditions. There have 

 already been many observations made, the study of which will doubtless 

 aid in the solution of this problem, but it is exceedingly important that 

 there should be systematic exploration at a distance from the shore both 

 in winter and summer. This is one of the tasks proposed for the Fish 

 Commission schooner "Grampus," recently constructed. Mr. Marcus A. 

 Hanna, of Bowery Beach, Me., states that he knows certain places on the 

 coast of Maine where Cod are found in mid-summer not more than two 

 miles from land, in water from forty to fifty fathoms deep, and upon soft 

 bottom. A portion of the Gloucester George's Bank fleet continues 

 fishing through the winter months, though at this season the vessels do 

 not, as in spring and summer, fish upon the shallow parts of the bank. 



