INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 277 



with the 30-fathom curve. It enters Monterey Bay a little over 9 miles 

 south of Santa Cruz, and leaves the southern side of the bay abruptly. 



The bottom food-fishes inhabiting- this extensive area do not differ 

 much from those found farther north, either as to species, quantity, or 

 quality. Many rich spots occur as feeding-grounds for the various 

 kinds of rockfish and other important species, but there are abundant 

 muddy depressions where nothing of commercial value can be found. 



The fishermen all confine their efforts to depths much under 100 

 fathoms. Were more attention paid to deep-water fishing it would 

 undoubtedly result in a material improvement in the size and quality 

 of the boats. A large number of the iishing boats hailing from San 

 Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Monterey have great stability and sea- 

 worthiness, and they are often good sailers, but very much could be 

 done to increase the comfort of the crew, for which there are at present 

 practically no accommodations. 



On two occasions, while at anchor in Drake Bay, the bottom was 

 tested with hand lines of different sizes, but nothing was captured, 

 and the same negative results were obtained with the use of crab nets. 

 A cod trawl, set for six hours across a rocky ]>atch of ground on the 

 northern side of the bay, aftbrded only 2 small flounders. Rockfish 

 inhabit this ledge in summer, but they never occur there in large num- 

 bers. The principal edible fishes secured with the beam trawl about 

 the Farallon Islands were flounders and soles, of several species, and 

 red rockfish. Flounders, soles, anchovies, tomcod, crabs, and other in- 

 vertebrates were taken by the same means in the vicinity of Xoonday 

 Eock, but only red rockfish were caught with hand lines. 



A cod trawl was set for seven hours on the western part of Cordell 

 Bank, in a depth of 30- odd fathoms, the catch consisting of 47 red 

 rockfish, averaging (Ji pounds each, and 2 cultuscod, weighing 18 and 

 20 pounds, respectively. One orange rockfish, 2 yellow-tails, and 2 

 cultuscod were captured with hand lines during a drift which occu- 

 pied about three-quarters of an hour. All subsequent trials with hand 

 lines and trawls on grounds farther south proved less satisfactory. 

 This, however, may have been partly due to a strong wind which pre- 

 vailed during the greater part of the time. 



Cordell Bank has not yet been fully explored. It covers approxi- 

 mately an area of 20 square miles, and its small extent precludes its 

 being resorted to by many vessels at a time. A vessel operating with 

 six to eight dories could, under favorable conditions, obtain from 4,000 

 to 5,000 pounds of fish a day, but whether this abundant supply would 

 continue long can be only ascertained by experiment. The bottom 

 consists of rocks, sands, and shelly i^atches, intermixed with mud. 



On grounds contiguous to Point lieyes, Russian River, and Bodega 

 Head, and off the entrance to Drake Bay edible fishes were taken in 

 considerable quantities with the beam trawl, but nothing worthj^ of 

 special mention was obtained in the inmiediate vicinity of Point Reyes. 

 Hauls were made at short intervals along the coast southward, begin- 



