234 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



operations. Ten cod were subsequently obtained at station No. 3508, 

 latitude 58° 33' ST., longitude 1G4° 49' W., 23 fathoms, the beam trawl 

 hauled at the same place yielding mollusks, crabs, shrimps, starfish, 

 and small fishes. 



On July 31 two hand-line trials were made, but without success. 

 One was at hydrographic station No. 3322, latitude 57° 10' N., longitude 

 109° 05' W., 42 fathoms; the other at station No. 3500, latitude 57° N., 

 longitude 109° 43' W., 35 fathoms. The failure to take cod at these 

 two places occasioned no surprise, as they were too close to the Pribilof 

 Island to make it probable that cod were at all abundant there. 



A line of fishing and dredging stations was commenced on August 1, 

 in 27 fathoms, 5 miles NB. £ E. of Walrus Island, of the Pribilof group, 

 being carried thence north (magnetic). At the first station the beam 

 trawl brought up large quantities of the common sand-dollar (fiat sea- 

 urchin), many mollusks, and a few small crabs, but nothing was taken 

 on the hand lines, five of which were kept down fifteen minutes. Four 

 more stations were made during the day, 20 miles apart, but at none of 

 them did the trial with hand lines prove successful. At most of these 

 positions, moreover, the beam trawl showed little evidence of a rich 

 bottom, such as would be expected to attract fishes, although it is 

 reported that cod have been found abundant in a part of the region 

 crossed by the line of investigations. At station No. 3513, latitude 

 58° 27' N., longitude 109° 01' W., 35 fathoms, 2 large flounders, a 

 number of Alaskan pollock, and a bushel of crabs were captured in 

 the beam trawl. 



On August 2 five fishing and dredging stations were made and six 

 cod were obtained, one having come up in the beam trawl. The first 

 trial, at which one cod was secured on the hand lines, was in 13 fathoms, 

 Northwest Cape of Nunivak Island, bearing NNE. h E., 19 miles dis- 

 tant. The next successful trial as regards the capture of cod was at 

 station No. 3517, 24 fathoms, Northwest Cape bearing E. \ N., 51 miles 

 distant. Four specimens were taken here. In this locality it is possi- 

 ble that a vessel anchoring for a short time would be able to toll a 

 school of cod by the bait which naturally falls from the hooks. During 

 the night the ship worked in the direction of St. Matthew Island. 



Early the following morning, August 3, hand-line fishing was begun 

 at hydrographic station No. 3348, latitude 60° 24' N., longitude 170° 48' 

 W., 35 fathoms, and was continued later at a second station 21 miles 

 NE. by E. h E. of Pinnacle Island. At both of those positions and at 

 most of the sounding stations made in the vicinity of St. Matthew Island 

 the bottom was found to consist of mud, and no fishes were captured on 

 the hooks. Cod are known to occur in that locality, however, and hali- 

 but may also frequent the same waters, but it is not probable that either 

 of these species is sufficiently abundant there to afford a profitable 

 fishery. From the station last mentioned fishing trials and dredge 

 hauls were made at intervals of 20 miles in a SSE. course in denths of 



