320 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [382] 
Mr. John H. Thomson, of New Bedford, who kindly interviewed some 
of the local fishermen, writes: ‘‘ The Sword-fish appear on our coast, south 
of Block Island, about May 25 to Junel. They appear to come from 
the southwest, or just inside the track of the Gulf Stream. They grad- 
ually approach the Vineyard Sound and vicinity during June and until 
July 10 or 15, then appear to leave, working to the southeast, and are 
to be found to the southeast of Crab Ledge about the middle of July. 
This school is composed of comparatively small fish, averaging about 
150 pounds, gross, or about 100 pounds without head and tail, as they 
are delivered in the market. The smallest are 4 feet long, including the 
sword, and weigh from 50 to 40 pounds; the largest 84 feet long, with 
sword, and weighing 300 pounds gross. These fish are of a light plum- 
beous hue, darker on the back and white on the belly. 
“Of late years another school has appeared southeast of Cape Cod and 
George’s Banks about the Ist of August. These fish are altogether dif- 
ferent, being much larger, weighing from 300 to 800 pounds gross, and 
are entirely black. Ihave this week conversed with an old smackman, 
M. C. Tripp, who has all his life been a fisherman, and has this year 
(1874) captured about ninety fish, and his opinion is that they are not 
the same school. They appear to be of about the same abundance in 
average years, the catch depending on weather, fogs, &c. They come 
and leave in a general school, not in close schools Hke other fish, but 
distributed over the surface of the water, the whole being called by the 
fishermen the ‘annual school’, though it cannot strictly be so named.” 
According to Mr. Willard Nye, Sword-fish appear on the coast of 
Massachusetts from the Sth to the 20th of June, and are first seen south- 
west of Block Island. They begin to leave in August, but stray ones 
are sometimes seen as late as the last of October. The usual explana- 
tion of their movement is that they are following their food—mackerel 
and menhaden—which swarm our waters in the season named, and which 
are of course driven off by the approach of winter and rough weather. 
Capt. R. H. Hurlbert took a very large Sword-fish on George’s Banks, 
in November, 1875, in a snow-storm. 
The first Sword-fish of the season of 1875 was taken June 20, south- 
west of Montauk Point; its weight was 185 pounds. 
One taken off Noman’s Land, July 20, 1875, weighed when dressed 
120 pounds, and measured 7 feet. A cast was taken (No. 360), which 
was exhibited in the Government Building at Philadelphia. 
Capt. Benjamin Ashby, of Noank, Conn., tells me that the New Lon- 
don and Noank vessels leave home on their swordfishing cruise about 
the 6th of July. Through July they fish between Block Island and 
Noman’s Land ; in August between Noman’s Land and the South Shoals 
Light Ship. The fish “strike in” to Block Island and Montauk Point 
every year about the Ist of July. They are first seen 20 to 25 miles 
southeast of Montauk. At the end of August they are most abundant 
in the South Channel. Captain Ashby never saw them at any time so 
