PROGRESS IN" BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1924 19 



tagged. Of 411 haddock tagged only 2 tags were sent in, and both 

 records lack the locality and date of capture. 



During the fiscal year 1924-25, commencing in July, it is planned 

 to continue fish-tagging operations, for the most part on fishing- 

 grounds in the Gulf of Maine. 



Considerable time was devoted to the study of cod scales to deter- 

 mine the age and rate of growth of the fish. For this study the scales 

 of more than 600 cod, caught from April to October on Nantucket 

 Shoals, were examined. In addition, the scales of 60 cod taken in 

 January on Georges Bank were utilized. The results of this inves- 

 tigation were verj^ satisfactory and indicated that with the study of 

 additional material considei'able information on the rate of growth 

 and age of the cod would be obtained. During the present year it 

 is planned to obtain scale samples from all fish caught, whether 

 tagged or not. This will add thousands to the few hundreds now 

 'at hand, these latter having been taken only from fish that were not 

 tagged. 



A study of a small number of pollock and haddock scales indi- 

 cates that the age and rate of growth may be determined by this 

 means. The data already collected will be consider'ably amplified 

 during the present year. 



FISHES OF THE SOTTTH ATLANTIC COAST 



Near the close of the fiscal year arrangements were completed for 

 a study of the fish and fisheries of the South Atlantic. The serv- 

 ices of Elmer Higgins, formerly of the California Fish and Game 

 Commission, have been secured for this important work. At the 

 close of the fiscal year an investigation of the ^laniage done to the 

 fisheries along the Florida coast by such predatory fish as sharks 

 and rays was under way. Headquarters were established at Big 

 Pine, Fla., at which point there is an established fishery for sharks 

 conducted by the Ocean Leather Co. Detailed measurements were 

 made of about 70 sharks, and examinations made of stomach con- 

 tents and the condition of the sex organs. The sharks were mainly 

 of four species, namely, tiger, duslv\', nurse, and hammerhead. 

 They Avere mostly large specimens, 8 to 12 feet in length. Although 

 the stomachs of many individuals were empty, some data were ob- 

 tained bearing on the feeding habits. The observations are being 

 continued, and it is expected that more valuable data will be 

 obtained during the next winter, when food fishes, such as the mullet, 

 kingfish, and mackerel, are present in greater abundance. 



It is j)lanned to extend these investigations to include studies of 

 the life histories of the important food fishes. Tiie Board of Fish 

 Commissioners of North Carolina kindly offeree! to cooperate in 

 this work, and it is expected that this arrangement will aid mate- 

 rially in advancing the investigations. v 



SALMONID^ AND SMELTS 



It is a pleasure to record that during the past year Dr. William C. 

 Kendall returned to the service of the bureau after an absence of 

 about two 3^ears. During this time he was engaged in investiga- 

 tions of the trout of New York State for the Roosevelt Wild Life 



18838—25 2 



