REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 49 



During the fiscal year three cruises were undertaken by the steamer 

 Halcyon — two for the purpose of oceanographic investigations in the 

 Gulf of Maine and one at the request of Massachusetts fishing inter- 

 ests in an endeavor to locate schools of mackerel. The latter cruise 

 occurred in August and covered some 1,000 miles of fishing grounds 

 in the Gulf of Maine and to the southwest and west of South Shoal 

 Lightship. The results were almost entirely negative. The vessel 

 was accompanied by practical mackerel fishermen who represented 

 the Gloucester Board of Trade. The oceanographic cruises were 

 made in December. January, and March, and were under the charge 

 of Dr. Henry B. Bigelow. Xone of the trips was of long dura- 

 tion, but 23 stations were occupied with the use of appropriate 

 apparatus and 1,286 miles were steamed between Cape Cod and Nova 

 Scotia. During July and August the vessel was overhauled and con- 

 templated improvements were completed. She is now equipped with 

 a single drum hoist for dredging purposes and a complete electric- 

 light system. 



The auxiliary schooner Eider performed excellent service during 

 the year as a tender for the Pribilof Islands, 10 round trips having 

 been made between Unalaska and the islands for the transportation 

 of cargo and passengers and one trip to King Cove. In November, 

 1920, it was necesary for the vessel to go to Kodiak for repairs which 

 could not be made at Unalaska. The vessel was at sea every month 

 in the year and cruised about 7,800 miles. 



The small fishery patrol boats Mitrre and Auklet were engaged the 

 greater part of the year in their usual work in southeastern Alaska 

 for the protection of the fisheries. Transportation was afforded to a 

 number of employees of other Government bureaus. In May the two 

 vessels maintained a patrol in the vicinity of Sitka for the protection 

 of the migrating fur-seal herd. The Auldet made a trip to Prince 

 Rupert during Mav for the purpose of procuring foodstuffs needed 

 by merchants of Wrangell and Ketchikan to relieve the shortage re- 

 sulting from the steamship strikes. In June the Auklet towed the 

 Osprey from Wrangell to Seattle and on the return trip towed the 

 Petrel from Seattle to Wrangell. Each of the two boats cruised 

 about 4.400 miles. 



The Phcdarope^ Gannet^ and Shearwater were occupied as usual 

 in fish-cultural work, the first two on the New England coast, the last 

 on Lake Erie. 



The motor boats obtained by transfer from the Navy have been 

 renamed, and two, the Petrel (formerly the Cobra) and the Mergan- 

 ser (formerly the Calypso), have been transported to Puget Sound 

 on a naval collier and prepared for fishery patrol work in Alaska. 

 A third, the Curlew (formerly the Polly), has been taken to Cape 

 Vincent, N. Y., and is doing good service in connection with the fish- 

 cultural operations on Lake Ontario. The Fulmar (formerly the 

 Wachusetts) is being fitted out for similar duty on Lake Michigan. 



