TILEFISHING IN FIFTY FATHOMS 



435 



torn fauna of that area in water at 

 a lower temperature than it was able 

 to survive. It was predicted at the 

 time of the disappearance, that the 

 same species would not be destroyed 

 farther south, and would probably 

 migrate northward and reoccupy these 

 grounds should conditions again become 

 favorable. 



Although a search was conducted 

 every year for the next ten years, no 

 tilefish were discovered, but from 1889 

 to 1891 a series of temperature investiga- 

 tions made over this tract by Professor 

 "William Libbey, indicated that there was 

 in process a definite movement of warm 

 water toward the shore, a continuance of 

 which would result in the rehabilitation 

 of the tilefish in its former habitat. 



In 1892 eight specimens of tilefish were 

 obtained on the old ground by the 

 United States Fish Commission schooner 

 "Grampus," and from this time until 

 1898 small incidental catches were re- 

 ported by fishing vessels every year. 

 These seemed to indicate that the tile- 

 fish were returning, and in August, 1898, 

 Dr. H. C. Bumpus, director of the bio- 

 logical laboratory of the United States 

 Fish Commission at Woods Hole, de- 

 cided to make a systematic investigation 

 of the tilefish grounds. The " Grampus " 

 was accordingly placed at his disposal 

 for the purpose. This schooner was a 

 two-masted vessel, especially built by 

 the government for investigating the 

 fisheries. She was about one hundred 

 feet over all, with a draft of twelve feet. 

 In addition to the usual cabin space, she 

 was equipped with a small laboratory 

 and apparatus for scientific work, includ- 

 ing nets, dredges, and preserving mate- 

 rials. Three trips were made by the 

 "Grampus," with the object of deter- 

 mining the abundance and area of dis- 

 tribution of the tilefish. One of these 

 trips yielded 203 tilefish. This catch, 



totaling more than two thousand poimds, 

 was taken to Montauk Point and dis- 

 tributed to the soldiers at Camp Wickoff . 

 Tilefish were caught at every trial during 

 these trips, and trawls were set in water 

 of a depth from sixty to eighty fathoms. 

 In August, 1899, it was decided to 

 determine the inshore limit of the tile- 

 fish grounds. In addition to the regular 

 crew of the vessel, four of the scientists 

 who were spending the summer in the 

 government laboratory were invited to 

 make the trip, in order to make obser- 

 vations on the habits and anatomy of 

 the tilefish in particular and of any 

 other fauna that chanced our way. 



Captain Halm of the "Grampus" was 

 an ideal commander of such an expedi- 

 tion; the highest type of American sea 

 captain and a thorough gentleman. A 

 man of perhaps forty, he had followed 

 the sea from early boyhood, had risen 

 through merit alone, and was known 

 throughout New England ports as an 

 expert navigator. 



It was late afternoon when the lines 

 were cast off, and the "Grampus" 

 was towed out of the harbor and 

 headed up Vineyard Sound. About 

 nine o'clock in the evening, Gay Head 

 light was passed, and Captain Halm 

 altered his course to due south. Several 

 of us spread our mattresses on the after 

 deck and prepared to enjoy the beauties 

 of an August night. It was an evening 

 not soon to be forgotten. Overhead, 

 the sky was studded with myriads of 

 stars; on our port were the white and 

 red flashes of Gay Head; on our star- 

 board, the twin lights of the Vineyard 

 Sound Lightship. The red and green 

 lights of passing vessels showed in the 

 distance, while the stillness of the night 

 was broken only by the throbbing of 

 some tramp steamer and by the gentle 

 swish of the water along the sides of the 

 " Grampus." At last biological theories 



