98 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
cod, which find there not only an abundance of shell-fish and crustacea of 
various kinds, but mollusks and several varieties of small fish that they 
are especially fond of. The appearance of large schools of cod at the 
same time with certain kinds of bait, for instance the capelin and squid, 
has caused these to be known to the fishermen as the ‘“ capelin school” 
and the ‘‘squid school.” The spring fish, which feed largely on the 
‘bottom, and to some extent on lant, are at first found the most abun- 
dant on the southern part of the bank, but later spread over a large 
area. The capelin school comes in May and June, and at that time fish 
are found more or less plentiful all over the bank, although the locality 
between the latitudes of 44° 00’ and 45° 15’ and that east of the Virgin 
Rocks north of the forty-sixth parallel are the most generally resorted 
to by trawl fishermen, while the dory hand-liners gather about the Vir- 
gin Rocks, which is a favorite place for them at that season. The squid 
school appears in July and is found on the same grounds as the capelin 
school. | Indeed, it is quite probable that it is made up chiefly of the same 
fish, their numbers increased, perhaps, by some new accessions. For 
several years but comparatively few cod have been taken after Septem- 
ber. Cod-fishing on the Grand Bank dates from the earliest settlement 
of America. The halibut fishery, however, is of comparatively recent 
date. This was begun in 1865, at which time, and for several subse- 
quent years, halibut were found very numerous on the bank. At first 
they were taken almost wholly on the Eastern Shoal Water, later on 
other parts of the bank, and since 1875 principally in the deep water 
along the western edge, where immense schools have been found in 
the winter and spring, and, though less frequently, sometimes in sum- 
mer. During the early part of the year the halibut usually do not re- 
- main long in one place, as many of the schools perform their migrations 
at that season. The summer schools, however, are generally spawn fish 
and move but little. 
A large fleet of French vessels of various rigs, but mostly brigs and 
barks, resort to this bank to engage in the cod fishery. Besides these 
there is a fleet from the British provinces and another from the United 
States, the whole aggregating several hundred sail, with crews number- * 
ing many thousands of men. 
FLEMISH CAP. 
Although the Flemish Cap is quite large, but comparatively little is 
known of it, and its boundaries are not fully defined on any of the charts. 
It is the most northern of the large fishing banks in the Western At- 
lantic, being located between 46° 36’ and 47°59’ N. latitude and the merid- 
ians of 44° 06/ and 45° 25’ W. longitude. The extreme length is therefore 
83 miles and width 53 miles. The bottom is broken into patches of 
more or less extent of mud, rocks, pebbles, gravel, and sand. A slaty 
rock is the most common on that part of the bank resorted to by fishing 
vessels. The depth varies from 73 to 155 fathoms. 
