XLI.-REPORT OF A TRIP OF EXPLORATION IN THE CHESA- 

 PEAKE BAY. 



By J. W. CoLLiKS. 



[Made in the spring of 1882 by the steamer Fish Hawk, Lieut. Z. L. Tanner, com- 

 manding. *] 



Leaving Washington at about 1 p. m. February 25, we steamed down 

 the Potomac and anchored that evening in Cornfield Harbor, at Point 

 Lookout. The weather being fine the following day we began opera- 

 tions by setting a gang of nets on the southwest side of the Potomac 

 in 5 fathoms of water, about 3J miles SSW. one-half S. from Point 

 Lookout Light. Nothing whatever was found in the nets when they 

 were hauled on the following morning, except a large number of 

 Medusae (sun-jellies, both red and white). Monday evening we set four 

 nets off Barren Island in about 20 fathoms of water, and two in the 

 Patuxent Eiver. The latter were put out near the ship. Drum Point 

 bearing N. by W. about one-half mile distant. Nothing was caught in 

 the river ; but about 20 young menhaden {Brevortia tyrannus) were taken 

 in the nets set off Barren Island. These fish, with the exception of the 

 largest, we have preserved in. alcohol. They vary in length from about 

 3 to 8 inches, and were caught by the mouth, the twine passing* in 

 between the upper and lower jaws, after which they became more 

 firmly entangled in the meshes. The next set we made off Smith's 

 Point, and off" Point Lookout Spit, on the evening of the 28th of Febru- 

 ary. In the first-named locality we set four nets in from 4 to G fathoms, 

 while two nets were moored to the westward of the spit buoy at Point 

 Lookout in 7 to 8 fathoms. During the night the wind breezed up 

 strong from the southeast, making it quite rough in Cornfield Harbor, 

 where the ship was anchored. Therefore, at about 4 a. m. March 1, we 

 got under way, ran up the Potomac a few miles to smoother water, and 

 anchored about an hour before daylight off Smith's Creek. After we 

 anchored a dense fog shut down, and did not clear off until about the 

 middle of the forenoon, when, the wind still blowing fresh and weather 

 looking stormy, we weighed our anchor and ran into Smith's Creek for 

 a harbor. 



* A brief account of this trip by Captain Tanner has been published in the United 

 States Fish Commission Bulletin, volume II, 1882, p. 133.— Editor. 



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