VAyADIAy FI.^HKRIi:s EXPEDlTIOy, lOJJf-lS 35 



Ou the May cruise, the stations from Halifax out over the banks past Sable 

 island yielded eprprs of cod and haddock, several species of flounder, Animodiites, and 

 a very small number of Ctenolahrus above the shallower prounds near Sable island. 

 Outside the banks we find Sehastes, but farther out again the yield becomes extremely 

 poor until the outermost station (station IGj, where a number of pelagic Atlantic 

 forms were found. On reaching the Newfoundland banks, we find once more cod, 

 Drepanopsetta and Ammodijtes; above the deeper portions towards Cape Breton and 

 Cabot strait, Sehastes is of more or less frequent occurrence. 



Tlie second cruise of the Acadia shows small yields at the start, off the southern 

 point of Xova Scotia; strangely enough, however, we here find Sehastes at comparatively 

 slight depths. This is probably connected with the fact that Sehastes in these southern 

 waters (Bay of Fundy and Xew England waters) spawns in more or less shallow water. 

 On the slopes, where the depth increases, we find numerous eggs of Merluccius; 

 farther out, the Scoi)elida^ play a more prominent part. Ova of cod and haddock 

 are now but sparsely found at all stations outside Nova Scotia ; on the Newfoundland 

 banks, however, they are once more encountered in great ninnbers, stations 81 to S.3 

 being particularly rich. Eggs of Drepanopsetia also are fairly numerous here, while 

 the arctic capelin bears witness to the vicinity of the polar current. From the banks 

 over to Cape Breton, Sehastes is again more frequently found, Onos (hardly however, 

 Onos cimhrius) only in very small quantities, Ctenolahrus only at station 91, quite 

 close to land. We see, then, that in this area, likewise, distinction may be made 

 between several different kinds of fauna. Up towards Newfoundland, we have — 

 according to European terms- — eggs and young of boreo-arctic fish, on the banks off 

 Nova Scotia a boreal bank fauna, while out over the great depths, especially to the 

 sovithward. the Atlantic species predominate. 



On comparing the stock of young in these two areas; the gulf, and the waters 

 outside Nova Scotia, we find that the gulf should most properly be regarded as a 

 coastal water, where littoral and coastal forms are found in great numbers; we find 

 the usual high degree of variation in temperature between summer and winter, with 

 corresponding variation in the fauna between northern and southern forms; purely 

 Atlantic species, however, do not appear in the hauls. 



An interesting feature, by the wav, is the fact that the mackerel is not represented 

 at all in the Acadia material (but few eggs on the first cruise); while the greater 

 portion of the Ammodytes taken during the investigations was furnished by the 

 Acadia. It is remarkable also, that none of the cruises furnished a single herring larva, 

 despite the fact that the herring occurs in nearly every part of the areas investigated. 



IV. BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. 



Modern marine research has shown us that life in the sea is to a high degree 

 dependant upon hydrographical conditions: current, temperature, and salinity. We 

 should, therefore, in seeking to explain the peculiar phenomena encountered with 

 regard to the propagation of the fish in Canadian waters, base such endeavours 

 upon tlie liydrographical data furnished by the ex]>editron. These are, however, not 

 yet compiled, in order and completeness, and we must for the present content ourselves 

 with recalling the more prominent features. It will be obvious from the outset that 

 an area subjected to such markedly contrasted influences as those of the Labrador cur- 

 rent and the Gulf Stream must present many remarkable features both as regards 

 fauna and biology, and it is only by bearing in mind the peculiar hydrographical con- 

 ditions that we can explain the otherwise surprising data furnished by the Canadian 

 Hydrographical Expedition wifli re.o-ard to the propn<rnt.ion of tlie most important 

 species. On comparing the Canadian with the European waters in this respect, 

 several peculiarities will at once be noticed, especially the pronoimced transposition 

 and extension of the spawning season, which here takes place in the case of several 



6.551— 3* 



