280 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [44] 



the one referred to, might even cause such a variation in the position 

 and direction of the tidal and other currents as to cause a direct flow 

 of the cold inshore waters, to temporarily occupy the warm area, push- 

 ing further outward the Gulf Stream water. The result would, in 

 either case, be a sudden and great reduction of the temperature, per- 

 haps as much as 15° to 20°.* This could not fail to be very destructive to 

 such southern species as find here nearly their extreme northern Mmiis. 



•' It is probable, however, that these southern species, including the 

 Tile-fish, were not thus destroyed further south. Therefore it is prob- 

 able that in a few years they will again occupy these grounds by migrat- 

 ing northward, even if there be not enough left here to replenish their 

 races." 



While, as we have seen, there was apparently good reason in the 

 opinion of many well-informed gentlemen to suppose the mortality 

 among the Tile-fish was caused by cold water, there were others who, 

 perhaps, were quite as firm in the belief that it was not cold, but un- 

 usually warm water which had destroyed the LopliolatUus. 



The idea of the fish having been killed by coming in contact with the 

 Gulf Stream seems, however, to have soon been abandoned, if we may 

 judge by the following facetious allusion to it in the li^ew York Times 

 of April 22, 1882 : 



" Theories are still rife as to the reasons for the killing of these fish. 

 The Gulf Stream notion, of the fish getting into hot water, not having a 

 leg or a fin to stand on, others are now being ventilated. Said one wise 

 skipper, '• There has been convulsions of nature under the seas. Now, 

 you see, mates, these here loaferlatter lushisses is deep-sea fish. There 

 comes the deuce to pay down below — their bladders gets busted, and 

 up they comes like balloons. That's a pint no fish-sharj^ has studied up 

 yet; don't you seel'" 



In the Times of March 26, 1882, the theory of the fish having been 

 destroyed by some sort of submarine volcanic action was advanced as 

 follows : " Such an apparent wholesale destruction could only have arisen 

 from some great natural cataclysm. In Southern waters, some years 

 ago, a vast number of fish were found dead floating on the water. Study- 

 ing the causes for this wholesale destruction, it was quite conclusively 

 shown that there had been some volcanic eruption, which had taken 

 place at the bottom of the sea, as a considerable quantity of a porous 



* As I have previoasly stated, the fall in temperature, if such occurred, was prob- 

 ably due to an acceleration of the speed of the Arctic current, together with a presuma- 

 ble lowering of its temperature by the masses of ice off the Banks and Nova Scotia, 

 This seems more plausible than to suppose that a commotion of the surface water 

 might affect the greater depths. Were this possible it is to be assumed that the tem- 

 perature of this region might undergo similar sudden changes of temperature each 

 winter, since, as is well known, heavy northerly gales — as strong as those of February 

 and March, 1882 — are occurring every week or two, from November to April, in each 

 year. Therefore, were this so, the Tile-fish would have scarcely existed in this lo- 

 cality long enough to have become so numerous as they were found in 1879-'80, and 

 especially to reach an abundance such as was shown by the floating millions of March 

 and April, 1882. 



