COPEIA 29 



On the 27th three hogsheads of 'herring-,' or about 3000 

 pounds, were received from the Dennysville River, and 

 were found to contain over two hogsheads of capelin. 

 I am unable to state anything regarding capelin earlier 

 in the season, as no particular attention was paid to 

 them, as distinguished from the common smelt." The 

 species has not previously been recorded south of 

 Halifax, Nova Scotia. In a number of books and 

 catalogues of fishes pertaining to the western Atlantic 

 vague references to the Halifax record are found. 

 These seem to be based upon the list of fishes of Nova 

 Scotia by J. Mathew Jones, published in 1863. Aside 

 from it as a new Maine record interest attaches to the 

 occurrence of capelin in Panamaquoddy Bay, as during 

 the summer the water was unusually cold off shore, at 

 intermediate depths on the Continental Shelf as far 

 south as the latitude of the Middle Atlantic States. 

 This cold water was accompanied by an abundance of 

 planktonic fish food of species usually found in more 

 northern waters (Fisheries Service Bulletin, September 

 1, 1916, No. 16, p. 1). The possible connection of these 

 phenomena with the presence of capelin so far south 

 of its normal range is obvious. The Halifax occur- 

 rence previously referred to may be accounted for in 

 the same way. This is indicated by a subsequent 

 notice by the same J. Mathew Jones (in a letter to 

 Forest and Stream, vol. 10, 1878, p. 502). If Mr. 

 Loomis had asked for information regarding the habits 

 of the capelin he would have likely been given an extract 

 from the short account by G. Brown Goode in Fishery 

 Industries, which is about as complete as most recent 

 data available allows. This account is largely quota- 

 tions from others, and curious to note the most thor- 

 ough account of the fish appears to have been over- 

 looked. Such is that by the previously mentioned Mr. 

 Jones, read December 7, 1863, before the Nova Scotian 

 Institute of Natural Science and published in the 

 Transactions of that inst'tution (see vol. 2, part 2, pp. 

 4-13). In Dr. Goose's account of the spawning habits 

 of the capelin one Charles Lanman is credited with a 

 very thorough observation. However, it has subse- 

 quently appeared that Charles Lanman was an "invet- 

 erate cribber" in things ichthyological. In the article 

 just mentioned Captain Hardy quotes verbatim, giving 

 full credit from an earl'er account of the spawning 

 habits of the fish given by Lieutenant Edward Chappell, 

 R. N. (Voyage of His Majesty's Ship Rosamond to 



