REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 35 



The fish had previously been caught iu a depth of water varying from 60 to 130 

 fathoms. Its feeding-ground being at the bottom woukl therefore occur just at the 

 edge of the continental platform. It is probably a tropical deep-sea species, j udging 

 from its relationships, which had migrated northward through favorable inducements 

 otiered by an enlarged feeding-ground opened up in that direction. It is noteworthy 

 that the temperature at which it was caught (50^ to 58°) could only be established 

 on the New England coast and at the edge of the continental j)latfoi'm by just such 

 an invasion of v.arm water as has been described above. It is only necessary to 

 conceive the whole of the continental edge from Florida to Nantucket thus over- 

 flowed by this warm band of water to see how the regular feeding-ground of a tropical 

 species could be extended so that the lish could follow it throughout the whole of 

 this largely increased area. 



It was agreed to test these theoretical conclusions during the summer of 1892. 

 In July the Commissioner and myself went out in the schooner Grampus, south of 

 Marthas Vineyard, to the area which seemed to promise a reward for our labors. We 

 found the temperature conditions right, set the cod trawls and cavtght the tilefish. 

 During the remaining portion of the summer I spent considerable time tracing out 

 the limits of the area over which the temperature of 50° and above could be found, 

 using the trawl lines at the same time to ascertain if the fish were there. We 

 found them all the way to the Delaware capes, and were satisfied that though they 

 were not numerous they had taken advantage of the changed conditions to reoccupy 

 this area. 



WATER-TEMPERATURE STATIONS. 



The Light-House Board and the Sonthero Pacific Company have 

 coutinued dnriug the year the taking of daily water-temperature obser- 

 vations for the benefit of the Fish Commission at the following places: 



Temperature stations on the Atlantic coast. 



Stations of the Light-House Board : 



Coast of Maine: Petit Manan Island, Mount Desert Rock, Matinicus Rock, 



Seguin Island, Boon Island. 

 Coast of Massachusetts: Race Point, Pollock Rip light-ship, Great Round Shoal 



light-ship, Nantucket New South Shoal light-ship, Cross Rip light-ship, 



Vineyard Sound light-ship. 

 Coast of Rhode Island : Brenton Reef light-ship. Block Island southeast light. 

 Long Island Sound: Bartlet-,t Reef light-ship, Stratford Shoal light-ship. 

 Coast of New Jersey: Absecon Inlet, Five-Fathom Bank light-ship. 

 Delaware Bay : Fourteen-Foot Bank light-ship. 

 Coast of Virginia : Winter Quarter Shoal light-ship. 



Chesapeake Bay : Windmill Point, Stingray Point, Wolf Trap Bar, York Spit. 

 Coast of North Candina; Cape Lookout, Frying Pan. Shoal light-ship. 

 Coast of South Carolina: Rattlesnake Shoal light-ship, Martins Industry Shoal 



light-ship. 

 Coast of Florida: Fowey Rocks, Carysfort Reef, Dry Tortugas. 



Temperature stations on the Pacific Slope. 



Stations of the Southern Pacific Company: 



Sacramento River at Tehama and Yolo bridges and King's Landing, California. 



Feather River at Feather River Bridge, California. 



American River at American River Bridge, California. 



Mokelumne River at Lodi, Cal. 



Tiuduiime River at Modesto, Cal. 



San Joaquin River at the upper and lower railroad crossings. 



King River at Kingsburg, Cal. 



Colorado River at Yuma, Ariz. 



