246 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [10] 



eral occasions. Nevertheless, we had no adequate idea of their abnu- 

 dance, nor indeed of their importance, until they were observed floating 

 upon the surface of the sea in such masses that even with the most lib- 

 eral reductions for possible exaggeration on the part of the observers, 

 the mind is confused in calculating the figures which would denote their 

 numbers. 



There can be but little doubt that the habitat of the Tile-fish cov- 

 ered a large area, equal in size to some of the most imj)ortant of the 

 favorite haunts of the cod, and that the fish themselves existed in an 

 abundance nearly approaching to that of the last-named species ; but 

 whether or not Lopholatilus may be found at present in abundance 

 farther south than it has been taken heretofore is an open question. 

 There seemr to be but little reason to doubt the probability of their 

 occurrence in such localities as may be Congenial to them for many 

 hundreds of miles along our Southern coast ; for, according to the best 

 authorities, its relatives are subtropical species, and it would be likely 

 to occur in Southern waters. 



Extent of the LopholatilushanJc. — If we were obliged to confine ourselves 

 simply to the consideration of the area where Lopholatilus has been 

 taken on hook and line we would find a range of limited extent stretch- 

 ing along the slope inside of the Gulf Stream, about the parallel of 40<^ 

 N. lat., and from 70° to about 71° 25' W. long., in depths varying from 

 about 90 to 125 fathoms. This ground is some 65 miles in length with 

 an average width of, perhaps, 3 to 4 miles. But the dead Tile- 

 fish which were seen floating upon the surface of the ocean in the 

 spring of 1882 gives us a far better conception of the area covered by 

 this species. From a careful consideration of the large amount of data 

 which has been at my disposal I find that these fish were noticed over 

 an area 170 miles in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction, and 

 with an average width of at least 25 miles. This shows them to have 

 covered an area of 5,G20 square statute miles, even after making lib- 

 eral allowances for the drift of the fish by winds and currents. Within 

 this region, then, lying between the parallels of 37° 29' and 40° 00' IsT. 

 lat. and meridians of G9° 51' to 74P 00' W. long., we may safely say, 

 is the Lopholatilus bank. That this is the only region where these 

 fish occur is not at all probable, and it seems altogether likely that 

 future investigations may demonstrate that the area here spoken of is 

 but a portion of the ground where this species may be found. The 

 researches of the United States Fish Commission have demonstrated 

 the fact that along the slope lying inside of the Gulf stream, between 

 the parallels of 37° and 40° jS". lat., and in depths ranging from 80 to 

 about 200 or 250 fathoms there is a band of warm water extending to 

 the bottom of the sea, while inside of it, in shallow water, the tempera- 

 ture is much lower, and at the bottom, in greater depths, beneath the 

 warm waters of the Oulf stream, a cold stratum is also found. I^his 

 belt of warm water, which seemingly just sweeps the ocean bed in the 



