REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 47 



discovered, after which he was to keep track of the movemeuts, habits, 

 aud abundance of the latter, aud to study the conditions of their 

 environment as far north as Nova Scotia. The presence of a large fleet 

 of purse-seiners on the grounds afforded excellent opportunities for 

 learning' of the distribution of the fish at all times, and through their 

 means it was expected that specimens for examination would be obtain- 

 able. The Grampm also made use of tlie fishing- apparatus she had on 

 board, and an hourly record of physical determiuatious was maintained 

 day aud night, besides which the surface tow nets were frequently 

 employed to discover the presence of mackerel food. The natural- 

 history observations were conducted by Mr. W. C. Kendall. Mr. B. L. 

 Hardin was stationed at Fulton Market, New York City, to inspect all 

 arrivals of mackerel there from the purse-seine fleet, as well as from 

 the shore apparatus tributary to that market. 



The Grampus sailed from Woods Hole on April 10 and reported at 

 Lewes, Del., April 21, having experienced heavy weather up to that 

 date. Very few fish had been observed, and the fishing fleet had 

 accomplished comparatively nothing. The latter also sought shelter at 

 the same place. Poor success, both in the catch of fish and in the 

 opportunities to make observations upon them continued thence to the 

 close of the season, and by the middle of May nearly all the purse-seiners 

 had left the southern grounds for the coast of Nova Scotia. The small 

 catch made this season was partly due to stormy weather, but, even 

 when all the conditions seemed favorable, mackerel were either scarce 

 or difficult to capture. More light will probably be thrown upon this 

 question when the elaborate series of notes obtained have been worked 

 up, but the fishermen have failed thus far to recognize any beneficial 

 results from the restrictions placed upon their spring fishery during 

 the previous five years. 



On May 23, the southern fishery having ended several days before 

 that time, the Orampus left Woods Hole, where she had put in for 

 supplies, and proceeded to Nova Scotia, to continue the inquiries on 

 the same plan as at the south. The entire fleet had assembled there, 

 but no fish were taken on this coast, except in trap nets on the shore, 

 until after June 1. By June 5 some of the fleet had done fairly well, the 

 others poorly. After their first appearance on this coast the mackerel 

 moved rapidly eastward, the purse-seiners aud the Grampus following 

 them as far as Cape North on Cape Breton Island, the former as a 

 whole making a good catch to the eastward of Halifax, as compared 

 with former seasons. There were 75 seiners on the Nova Scotia shore, 

 and their average fare was about 160 barrels each. The Grampus 

 returned to Woods Hole the latter part of Juue, bringing a large 

 quantity of specimens bearing upon the breeding habits, food, size, 

 etc., of the mackerel, together with very complete records of the daily 

 observations. 



Mr. B. L. Hardin remained at New York from April 12 to June 3, 

 and examined every fare of mackerel landed from the southern fishery, 



