934 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH ANt) FISHERIES. [2] 



Mr. Edwiu A. Leavitt, of scboouer Lizzie W. Huut, of Saco, Me., states 

 that about August 28 be was cruising 12 miles east-southeast of the 

 Isles of Shoals aud counted forty-scveu swordfish vessels • in sight, 

 and he thinks that during that week these vessels captured 1,000 fish. 

 At the same time other vessels were cruising farther to the eastward. 

 The Lizzie W. Hunt took 82 swordfish from July 11 to September C, and 

 Captain Wallace of that vessel says that in his eight years' experience 

 he never before saw them so abundant. 



The farthest eastward that the fish were reported was in latitude 41° 

 15', and longitude 58°, Avhere they were seen by Capt. E. L. Jerrell, of 

 New Bedford. 



Tbe season was at its height during the month of August and until 

 the latter part of September, when the fish began to disapi)ear ; by 

 October 10 tfiiey bad left the coast. 



Inquiry was made of more than fifty fishermen regarding the spawn- 

 ing habits of swordfish, and with very few exceptions there was a total 

 ignorance on tbe subject. In reply to the question whether they had 

 ever seen spawn ;n tbe fish, tbe usual answer was, "Xo, we never saw 

 any; tbe fish must all be males." Tbe opinion generally expressed by 

 tbe fishermen was tbat very few if any female swordfish visit this coast, 

 aud tbat their spawning ground must be in distant waters. Capt. 

 Horace J., Drew, of schooner Send, belonging at Plymouth, thinks that 

 spawning fish sometimes visit this coast, for in LS83 he saw what he 

 thought was nearly ripe spawn in a medium-sized fish ; it had tbe ap-^ 

 pearance of cod spawn in sbape, though much larger. 



The most interesting statement on this subject was by Capt. William 

 T. Gooding, of New London, Conn. He has been swordtishing for 

 twenty-two years and has the i)oints of three swords in the planking of 

 bis vessel. In an interview September 8 he said that about August 15, 

 1884, be caught a female swordfish oil' Mouhegan, Me., that weighed 

 about 450 ponnds : " The spawn was ruiuiing oat. On dressing the 

 fisb I examined this spawn. It was red and about like a cod roe after 

 spawning; in two bags about 12 inches long and 4 or 5 inches through. 

 Tbe eggs were about tbe size of small i)eas. I thought of saving this 

 specimen, but being eager to get to market with my catch I forgot it, 

 and it was thrown overboard by one of the crew." 



The principal food of swordfish during tbe past season, south of Cape 

 Cod, was squid and skipjack ; while in the Gulf of Maine they lived 

 chiefly on dogfish, mackerel, and herring. According to statements of 

 fishermen, a swordfish never touches a still bait. They will break into 

 a school of fisb, then sink down, and take their prey while it is moving. 



The smallest specimen reported by any of tlie fishermen weighed 22 

 pounds, fresh from the water, aud was caught off Block Island early in 

 the season. Another weighing 32 pounds, sword and all, was taken by 

 Captain Hammond, of schooner Gracie M. Phillips. The largest one is 

 reported by Mr. D. W. Williamson, of Wellfleet, who says, in a letter 



