[43] HISTORY OF THE TILE-FISH. 279 



past season whether the Tile-fish had been nearly or entirely extermin- 

 ated in this region, and if so, to investigate the cause. 



"One of the most peculiar facts connected with our dredgings along 

 the warm belt this season was the scarcity or total absence of many of 

 the species, especially of Crustacea, that were taken in the two previ- 

 ous seasons, in essentially the same localities and depths, in vast num- 

 bers — several thousands at a time — and in many localities. Among 

 such species were some peculiar small spider-crabs, hermit-crabs, and 

 shrimp {Euprognatha, Catapagurns, and FontopMlus); also, curious small 

 lobster-like creatures {Munida). The latter was one of the most abund- 

 ant of all the Crustacea last year, but was not seen at all this season, 

 with the exception of a single example on the last trip ; the others 

 were taken only in small numbers. Two attempts were made to catch 

 the "Tile fish" {LopholatUns) by means of a long trawl-line on essen- 

 tially the same ground where eighty were caught in one trial last year. 

 On the last occasion this year the trawl-line used was about 2 miles 

 long, with over two thousand hooks. Both of tbese attempts resulted 

 in a total failure. 



"In order to test the question of the disappearance of the Tile-fish 

 more fully Professor Baird emi)loyed in September, a fishing-vessel, 

 the Josie Eeeves, to go to the grounds and fish systematically for the 

 Tile-fish by using long trawl-lines, such as had i)roved successful last 

 year in our trials. On her first trip, ending September 25, she fished 

 three days in several localities at the proper depths and on the right 

 kind of bottom, but did not catch a single Tile-fish. 



"It is i)robable, therefore, that the finding of vast numbers of dead 

 Tile-fish floating at the surface in this region last winter was connected 

 with a wholesale destruction of the life at the bottom, along the shal- 

 lower part of this belt, (in 70 to 150 fathoms,) where the southern forms 

 of life and higher temperatures (47° to 52°) are found. This great de- 

 struction of life was probably caused by a very severe storm that oc- 

 curred in the region at that time, which, by agitating the bottom water, 

 forced outward the very cold water that, even in summer, occupies the 

 wide area of shallower sea, in less than 60 fathoms, along the coast, and 

 thus caused a sudden lowering of the temperature along this narrow 

 warm zone, where the Tile-fish and the Crustacea referred to.were for- 

 merly found. 



"The warm belt is here narrow, even in summer, and is not only 

 bordered on its inner edge, but is also underlaid in deeper water by 

 much colder water. In fact, the bottom water further inshore is prob- 

 ably below 320 Fahrenheit in winter where the depth is 20 to 40 fath- 

 oms. In August, this year, we found the temperature 37^ Fahrenheit, 

 south of Cape Cod, iu 55 to 60 fathoms. It is evident, therefore, that 

 even a moderate agitation and mixing up of the warm and cold water 

 might, in winter, reduce the temperature so much as to practically 

 obliterate the warm belt at the bottom. But a severe storm, such as 



