COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 71 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE CONTINUED EXAMINATION OF THE PHYSICAL AND 

 BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF NARRAGANSETT BAY. 



The physical and biological investigations of the bay has been con- 

 tinued as heretofore. Your Commission regrets that more time was 

 not available for this valuable work. However, this past year some 

 headway has been made in systematizing the work and a continuance 

 along these lines will make this one of the most valuable and important 

 departments of the Commission's work. Its future development it is 

 hoped, will eventually result in the accurate determination of the 

 causes for the appearance or absence of schools of fish, the presence 

 or absence of sets of clams, oysters, etc., and other phenomena, which 

 are little understood. 



The physical conditions, especially of the early part of the year, 

 were far from satisfactory to the fishing industry. Cold, severe 

 storms, caused loss of gear and delay in the runs of fish. During the 

 summer conditions, became more satisfactory, but the water did not 

 become as warm as in 1909. 



The biological phenomena worthy of note were as follows: 



The presence in the bay of great " shoals " of small fish, especially 

 herring. During the early fall in Mill Cove, Wickford, the water for 

 many days sparkled on all sides, as far as one could see, with the 

 flipping of these fish and they were so abundant that when rowing 

 among them, they would merely avoid being struck by the oars and 

 would not get out of the way. 



The set of oysters was the most abundant in years. - Shells, stones, 

 piles, seaweed, and in fact the surface of nearly everything in the 

 water, was covered with the set, often to such an extent as to render 

 the object set upon invisible. 



