282 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [4G] 



out could account for the strange occurrence. The captain then ordered 

 the heaving of the lead, but found no bottom at 100 fathoms. The 

 pumps were sounded and the ship found to be tight. The shock lasted 

 only half a minute, after which the ship went on as before. Caj)tain 

 Horner himself went aloft, but could discover no signs of any obstruc- 

 tions. He expresses the opinion that he had encountered a tremor or 

 submarine volcanic eruption. The ship's position at the time was in lat- 

 itude 37° 21' north, longitude 23° 5V west. He found the rate of the chro- 

 nometer correct, observation being taken 56 minutes after the shock." 



By reading the above extract carefully it will be seen that the Stella 

 (if the account given is correct), was more than 2,000 nautical miles to 

 the eastward of where the dead fish were seen, and it is scarcely rea- 

 sonable to suppose that any influence could have been exerted on animal 

 life even at one-tenth of that distance. Another thing which should 

 not be lost sight of is, that the Tile-fish were seen floating at sea by the 

 crew of the bark Plymouth on the 3d of March, fifteen days before the 

 Stella received the shock which has been mentioned, and several other 

 vessels also reported seeing dead fish previous to the 18th of March. It 

 will therefore be seen that, even had this supposed volcanic eruption 

 taken place much nearer the locality where the dead fish were noticed 

 than it did, it could not be called the original cause of their destruction. 



Then, too, if the mortality was due to volcanic action, why were not 

 the Gadidw, skates, and other cold-water species exterminated as well 

 as the Tile-fish and other animals which Professor Yerrill has said are 

 considered tropical and subtropical forms ? 



It seems scarcely worth while to dwell any longer on this subject since 

 a bare allusion to other possible reasons for the death of the Tile-fish 

 will sufiQce. 



That fish are often killed by disease,* by troublesome parasites, by 

 larger fish, and, perhaps, in the case of inland waters, by poisonous 

 substances mingling with the streams, there can be no doubt.* 



* The following accounts of the death of fishes, evidently from widely different 

 causes, may be of interest in this connection : "The Harbor Grace Herald, (says the 

 Gloucester Telegraph of August 10, 1853,) gives the following particulars of a mortality 

 among the capelin, a small fish, which forms a large portion of the food of the New- 

 foundlanders : 



" ' It is a singular fact that within these few days past multitudes of dead capelin 

 have been thrown ashore in the land-washes or seen floating on the water in various 

 parts of this bay. What is still more extraordinary, and renders it probable that the 

 creatures have been attacked with some internal disease, is the fact that thousands 

 of them have been seen dying on the surface of the sea, their gill-covers distended and 

 their under parts, between the pectoral and anal fins, discolored with eruptive spots. 



"'In this state hundreds of barrels have been cast ashore in difterent parts of the 

 coast.'" » * * 



In the same paper of September 10, 1845, is the following : 



"We learn that during the latter part of last week immense fields of small fish, 

 floating dead upon the water, were to be seen in the harbor. They were of the kind 

 called alewives, and in one place not less than an acre of them turned up their white 

 aides to the sun. What was the cause of this mortality is unknown." (Baltimore Sun.) 



