OMMATOSTREPHID A. 3D 
pursuing them many of the squids became stranded, and perished 
by hundreds, for when they once touch the shore, they begin to 
pump water from their siphons with great energy, and this usually 
forces them farther and farther up the beach. At such times 
they usually discharge their ink in large quantities. The attacks 
on the young mackerel were observed mostly at or near high 
water, for at other times the mackerel were seldom seen, though 
the squids were seen swimming about at all hours; and these 
attacks were observed both in the day and evening. But it is 
probable, from various observations, that this and the other 
species of squids are partially nocturnal in their habits, or at 
least are more active in the night than in the day. Those that 
are caught in the pounds and weirs mostly enter in the night, 
and evidently when swimming along the shore in schools. They 
are often found in the morning stranded on the beach in immense 
numbers, especially when there is a full moon, and it is thought 
by many of the fishermen that this is because, like many other 
nocturnal animals, they have the habit of turning toward and 
gazing ata bright hight, and since they swim backwards, they 
get ashore on the beaches opposite the position of the moon. 
This habit is aiso sometimes taken advantage of by the fisher- 
men who capture them for bait for cod-fish ; they go out in dark 
nights with torches in their boats, and by advancing slowly toward 
a beach, drive them ashore.—VeErRRILL. Report of U. S. Fish 
Commissioner for 18738, 441. 
The following notice of the Squid of the Newfoundland Banks 
in its relation to the American Grand Bank Cod Fisheries, is 
condensed from a paper by H. L. Osborn in Aim. Naturalist, xv, 
366, 1881. 
The bait used in the latter part of the year is the squid 
Ommatostrephes illecebrosa. It first appears on the southern 
points of Newfoundland late in June or early in July. The 
natives and fishermen agree in opinion that the squid migrates 
steadily northward during the season, appearing first in the 
northern harbors two weeks later than in the southern, and finally 
lingering at northern points in the island after they have entirely 
disappeared from those further south. 
The sole mode of capture of the squid is called “jigging,” a 
term derived from and descriptive of the process. The only 
gear is a peculiar hook with a couple of fathoms of mackerel line. 
No bait is employed. The jig is of lead, two inches or there- 
abouts in length, armed at its base with sharply pointed unbarbed 
ee radially arranged, and curving upward and outward. The 
igging is conducted in water of from eight to ten feet, usually 
front small boats, but occasionally from the vessel’s side. The 
jig is allowed to sink nearly to the bottom, where it is kept con- 
stantly vibrating up and down, till the squid is felt’ upon it. 
