Atwood.] 



66 



water, and those which might be termed migratory ; not be- 

 cause they passed up and down the coast, but always came 

 from the ocean depths beyond fishing limits, to the coast, 

 and went back again, at the beginning and close of the 

 wann season. He would only refer to one or two of this 

 latter class. 



He first spoke of the Mackerel. 



These appear at the opening of spring, and are found abund- 

 antly along the coast in this vicinity, extending southward to the 

 Delaware capes, below which they are rarely caught, though they 

 are occasionally found as far south as the Virginia coast ; northward 

 thev extend to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and instances are known 

 where they have been taken as far north as Bradore on the coast of 

 Labrador. This can only occur during a season remarkable for the prev- 

 alence of westerly winds, for in the colder seasons they do not go so 

 far north. They are found every year as far north as the Mecatina 

 Islands on the Labrador coast. They make their earliest appearance 

 at Provincetown, at the extremity of Cape Cod, about the 10th of May. 

 The large individuals (which jVlitchUi described as a distinct species, but 

 which Capt. Atwood considered but as the full grown adult,) appear 

 first. These are all mature, no young accompanj-ing them, and they 

 never bite at a hook, which is the case also with aU those found on the 

 Labrador coast. Later in the season, the younger ones, which wiU read- 

 ily take the bait, appear, and they are no longer taken with the net. The 

 large individuals (Scomber vernalis) come about a week before they lay 

 their spawn; one year when they appeared on the 20th of May, 

 most of them were found to be laying their spawn on the 28th. By the 

 4th or 5th of June, the large mackerel disappear, and none will then 

 be found but those not fully grown (Scomber grex Mitchill). In 

 thirty days ft-om the laying of the spawn the young mackerel, about 

 two inches long, will be found in great abundance, and in fifty-five 

 days, they will have reached the length of four inches. 



The Scomber grex is fished for with the hook. Forty years ago the 

 fishermen used to fish during the entire summer off of soundings, and 

 out of sight of land, both off our coast and on the fishing ground lying 

 entirely to the eastward of Cash's Ledge. But this ground failed alto- 

 gether in 1842, and now most of the fishing is done upon Cash's Ledge, 

 which is seven leagues long by two broad, with a shoal spot near the 

 middle about a quarter of a mile long ; at this small spot most of the 

 mackerel would be taken, and there would sometimes be as many as 

 one hundred sail of vessels upon it. 



This year no mackerel were taken in August ; early In September 

 some were caught at Boon Island Ledge, to which place the fishermen 



