290 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [54] 



no oue could say when auother opportunity might offer to obtain fresh 

 specimens. Fully concurring in his opinion, I had two of them cooked, 

 and we found them most delicious, with firm crispy flesh, and a delicate 

 flavor that would be hard to equal. 



In the lobster pot only slime eels were taken. These were placed in 

 alcohol. 



It is perhaps worthy of remark that in all the fish which were eviscer- 

 ated not the least trace of food was found, and I am at a loss to know 

 why s])ecies so voracious as the hake, whiting, and others, which we 

 took, should be found in a locality where there is evidently little food 

 to be obtained. 



The scarcity of sea-birds might be cited as an indication of a limited 

 amount of small fishes, or other forms near the surface. However, an 

 occasional hag {Puffinus) was seen, and several varieties of jaegers, 

 which appeared more common in this region than other forms. 



At 1 o'clock p. m. we kept off and ran to the westward 15 miles by 

 the log.* At 3,45 p. m, we sounded, and having got a depth of only 

 50 fathoms, let the vessel jog under mainsail and jib, on the port tack, 

 slowly head-reaching to the southward. At sunset there was less wind 

 and occasional light showers. By the exercise of much care, and sound- 

 ing frequently during the night, the vessel was kept on the edge of the 

 ground so closely that at 5 o'clock on Saturday morning, the 23d, we 

 were in 150 fathoms At this time there was a moderate S. SE. breeze, 

 but considerable ground swell, which increased somewhat later in the 

 day. The sky was overcast with broken clouds, though there was no 

 appearance of thick weather. 



All the men were called to bait the trawls at dawn. Being anxious 

 to make two sets during the day, and knowing that we could not if we 

 set two trawls at once, we baited only one string — a thousand hooks — 

 which we set between 8 and 9 o'clock a m. in from 100 to 125 fathoms; 

 latitude 39° 54' north, longitude 71° 22' west. After the trawl was 

 set w^e left one of the dories fast to the lee end, since the ground swell 

 rendered it difficult to see a buoy flag any distance. We began hauling 

 the gear at 11 o'clock, a dory going to each end of the trawl, and shortly 

 after noon the men had finished the work. But little was taken on this 

 haul — "Lot No. 4" — it consisting of a few hake, three dogfish {Sqiialus), 

 and a few invertebrates on the trawl, and nearly a bucket full of slime 

 eels (Myxine), and a single crab in the lobster pot, which we had fast- 

 ened near one of the anchors. 



As soon as we liad finished hauling we kept off' southwest by west, 

 and ran a little over 5 miles on that course, when, having got a depth 

 of 110 fathoms, we set one of the trawls, which we had baited during 



* I take this occasion to mention that the captain of the yacht "Madeline," which 

 lay in winter quarters at Greenport, kindly lent lis the yacht's patent log, which we 

 fonnd very serviceable. The log was returned through Captain Redmond, with a 

 letter of tlianks and acknowledgment of the favor conferred. 



