XXVIII EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



tared off Barren Island, and a number of dogfish [Squaltis acanthias) 

 were taken in the nets set off Cherrystone. 



Dredgings were made with the beam trawl off Barren Island in 25 

 fathoms of water, but the captures consisted only of a few young men- 

 haden, some young herring (alewives), and another small fish, besides 

 a single crawfish, a few shrimp, and a limited number of small shells. 

 Another set of dredgings oft' Cherrystone jiroduced little besides a few 

 specimens of skate {Rata, of possibly two varieties). The satisfactory 

 prosecution of these researclies were somewhat interfered with by the 

 prevalence of strong winds and tides. It frequently happened that the 

 combined force of the seas and currents drifted the nets from the posi- 

 tions where they were set, and in some instances the apparatus was 

 seriously injured by contact with the bottom, or by drifting afoul of the 

 net anchors as the gear was swept along. It was evident, however, 

 that there were no shad in the localities visited, and, therefore, though 

 the results obtained by the expedition were of a negative character, 

 they were, nevertheless, of considerable value in establishing more 

 definitely than we knew before the date of arrival in tha Chesai)eakeof 

 certain varieties of fishes, while it may, perhaps, be considered settled 

 that no shad, herring, etc., remain inside the capes of Virginia in winter. 



Experiments were also made on the cruise to ascertain what might be 

 done in hatching cod-fish eggs in water taken from the Chesapeake. 

 Just before the ship sailed from Washington 1,000,000 cod-fish eggs 

 (about 75 per cent, of which appeared to be alive) were put on board, 

 these eggs being in artificial sea water. Upon arrival at Point Lookout 

 the eggs were put in a glass jar and three cones, and the hatching pro- 

 cess begun. That was on Saturday, and the following Monday morning 

 few eggs remained alive, probably not more than one in five hundred, 

 while none had advanced any in development since being placed in 

 water taken from Chesapeake Bay, the density of which was found to 

 be 1.0070, while that of sea water is from 1.0240 to 1.0290. The eggs 

 sunk to the bottom of the hatching apparatus, when put into the water 

 obtained at Point Lookout, and it was not long before examination 

 showed the germinal disk to be much distorted. On Tuesday morning 

 no eggs remained alive, and the embryos that lived the longest were 

 much more misshapen than others which died earlier. 



After returning from Chesapeake Bay, the Fish Hawk proceeded to 

 Quantico, Va., on the 10th of April, 1k) carry on the hatching of shad 

 and herring. 



On the 7th of July she proceeded to Wilmington with a load of ma- 

 chinery and supplies for the Albatross ; and on the IGth of that month 

 was ordered to New Haven to await further orders. 



She returned to Washington on the 21st of July, and took on board 

 the usual apparatus and material for Wood's Holl, and left for that station 

 on the 24th, arriving on the 26th. 



Several trips were made by her to the Gulf Stream ; namely, on the 



