[31] THE HALIBUT FISHERY—DAVIS’ STRAIT. 219 
The whole mass of eggs was next put on the scales and their weight 
divided by the weight of one cubic inch, to ascertain the number of 
cubic inches of eggs. This result, multiplied by the number of eggs in 
one cubic inch, would give the number of eggs in the whole ovary. Con- 
sidering that the number given is some too large, I cannot conceive 
how any error so great, as to make the number less than two millions, 
could have crept in. Ido not know whether all these eggs would have 
been laid at one time, or not, but, as they appeared to be nearly of 
the same size, I judge that such would probably have been the case. 
There was no way of determining accurately at what stage of the tide 
the fish were the most voracious, but they appeared to take the bait 
best the latter part of the stronger tide, for it was then that the hand- 
line was most successful, and the men expected the best luck with 
the trawls. 
Though the fish are of the same species as those caught on the Grand 
Banks, nothing was found in them, in the shape of hooks or food, indi- 
cative of a migration from any other place. 
August 5 I made several observations upon the temperature of the 
rectum of the halibut, when they were first taken by the hand-line, and 
found, with one exception, the temperature to be 39° Fahr. These ob- 
servations were made within an hour or two of the time the temperature 
of the bottom was taken. The exception referred to was where one hali- 
but showed a temperature of 394° Fahr., half a degree higher than the 
others. 
The food of the fish was different for different places and times. 
. Where we first fished it was composed of crabs and other crustacea, with 
now and then a fish of the genus Cyclopterus. But, when we shifted to 
a spot twenty miles or so south of this, we found some of the species of 
erustacea had disappeared, and the principal source of food was a small 
fish called “lant.” There was also a great difference in the condition of 
the fish in these two places; those of the last place being far better and 
more vigorous. The males were above 6 to 1 female in the first place, 
whereas the females in the latter place predominated greatly over the 
males. I take the following from my diary of August 8 to show the 
difference in the two places: 
‘The fish on this bank have none of the large shrimp in their stomachs 
that were found in the stomachs of the halibut on the other bank. ‘Here 
they have mostly lant, there mostly shrimp. None of tie common cod 
have as yet beencaught.” <A few were caught after this. “Sharks and 
cat-fish are likewise very few. There are no walruses or seals, few 
whales, and many birds. The birds are not as hungry as on the other 
bank, and it is harder to shoot them, for they do not fly very near.” 
N.W. mag. from Holsteinborg, July. W.S.W. mag. from Holsteinborg, Aug. 
Food, principally crustacea. Food, principally lant. 
6 males to 1 female, 1 male to 7 females. 
Fish poor. Fish fat and vigorous. 
Fish in spots. Fish more evenly distributed. 
