62 REPORT OF COMMISSIOlSrERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



SPHYR^NID.E. The Barracudas. 



70. Sphyrsena guachancho (Cuvier & Valenciennes). Barracuda. 

 Geog. Dist.: West Indies to Pensacola, straying north to Woods Hole. 

 Season in R. I.: Rare. A young specimen, 8 inches long, taken in seine at 



Willow Beach, near Wickford, on July 17, 1905. 



AMMODYTID^. The Sand Launees. 



71. Ammodytes americanus (DeKay). Sand Launce; Lant; Sand Eel. 

 Geog. Dist. : Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras. 



Season in R. I.: Said to appear at all seasons; sometimes in summer is so 



abundant as to fill the traps. 

 Food: Worms and small fry. This species is important as the food of cod, 



halibut, and mackerel. 

 Size: Largest grow to 16 inches, but are generally much smaller, seldom 



over 5 or 6 inches. 



HOLOCENTRID.E. The Squirrel-Fishes. 



11. Holooentrus ascensionis (Osbeck) . Squirrel-fish. 



Geog. Dist.: West Indies about rocks and reefs; accidental on the coast. 

 This species has been taken at Newport. (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1879, 44.) 



SCOMBRID.E. The Mackerels. 

 73. Scomber SCOmbrus (Liimseus). Common Mackerel. 



Geog. Dist.: North Atlantic, abundant on both coasts. North to Norway 

 and Labrador, south to Spain and Cape Hatteras. 



Migrations: Appear in the spring when the water reaches 45° F. At sea, 

 off Cape Hatteras, March 20 to April 25; Norfolk, March 2 to April 30; 

 the Capes of Delaware, April 15 to May 1; Barnegat and Sandy Hook, May 

 5 to May 25; appear at the same date along the whole coast of New Eng- 

 land and Nova Scotia; Gulf of St. Lawrence, May and early June. These 

 are probably coastwise movements for the most part, as they can be 

 followed by the fishing boats from southern waters to the north. On 

 their return they probably head out into deep water. In 1898 they 

 appeared at Sakonnet, Chatham, Mass., and Yarmouth, N. S., on the 

 same day, May 3. In 1901 they reached Chatham on April 29, and the 

 next day were taken at Cuttyhunk and Menemsha Bight. 



