30 REPOBT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



of Georges 'Bank, but the fish stayed there only a short time, disap- 

 pearing as suddenly as they came. In Massachusetts Bay and on the 

 Maine coast there was practically no mackerel fishing, a few small 

 schools taken off Monhegan being all that showed on the latter shore. 

 The season in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was also a poor one, the catch 

 of the 22 American purse-seining vessels that went there being only 

 1,785 barrels. No fish were found schooling, and the catches made 

 were secured by throwing toll bait and using line and jig, the seine 

 being run around the vessel while the fish were attracted by the bait. 

 Bad weather set in early and fishing off North Sydney was discon- 

 tinued before the usual time. 



The cruise did not result in ascertaining where the southern body 

 of mackerel goes after coming as far north as Long Island nor in 

 locating the great body of mackerel which goes into the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, but that large schools entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence 

 in June and, some of them at least, came out in the fall and went 

 south is indicated by the fact that large catches were made off Hali- 

 fax and La Have and westward as far as Cape Sable, and that great 

 schools were reported off Halifax and other Cape Shore ports late 

 in the season. It is evident from the experiments and observations 

 made during the cruise that the food supply and spawning habits of 

 the mackerel are not the only factors to be considered in the study 

 of their migrations, but that the weather conditions and the presence 

 of bonito and other predatory species have a decided influence on 

 their movements. A plentiful supply of food was frequently found 

 in localities where there were either no mackerel oronly scattering 

 individuals. 



The Grampus kept in as close touch with the seining fleet as was 

 consistent with the work, and furnished the vessels with all informa- 

 tion obtained regarding the schools of mackerel seen. 



Considerable information was also obtained during the cruise re- 

 garding the movements of menhaden. These fish were reported by 

 the mackerel seiners early in April about 25 miles off Bodie Island, 

 North Carolina, in 45 fathoms of water. They were in large schools 

 and appeared to be working northward and keeping well offshore. 

 About the 20th of the month large schools were observed in 36° 30' 

 north latitude and extending a distance of about 90 miles. A number 

 of menhaden were taken in the mackerel seines about this time, and 

 were large and moderately fat fish. During April large schools of 

 bonito were seen some distance inshore of the menhaden, which was 

 apparently the reason why the latter remained so far offshore. One 

 vessel reported sailing 25 miles with bonito constantly in sight, mov- 

 ing rapidly and at times breaking water, probably in pursuit of some 

 small feed other than menhaden. No schools of bonito were seen'north 

 of the Virginia capes, and the menhaden appeared on the coast of 

 New Jersey early in May after the bonito disappeared. 



