﻿16 
  

  

  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  [14] 
  

  

  and 
  at 
  daylight 
  we 
  resumed 
  (lie 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  grounds 
  in 
  the 
  vi- 
  

   cinity. 
  Eight 
  stations 
  were 
  occupied, 
  fish 
  being 
  taken 
  at 
  the 
  following: 
  

  

  We 
  met 
  with 
  such 
  poor 
  success 
  that 
  we 
  concluded 
  to 
  change 
  ground 
  

   to 
  the 
  southward 
  and 
  eastward 
  about 
  45 
  miles. 
  Here 
  we 
  made 
  four 
  

   trials, 
  finding 
  fish 
  finally 
  in 
  latitude 
  28° 
  54' 
  H"., 
  longitude 
  85° 
  08' 
  W., 
  in 
  

   28 
  fathoms. 
  Forty-two 
  red 
  snappers 
  and 
  two 
  black 
  groupers 
  were 
  

   taken 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  minutes. 
  Thinking 
  this 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  most 
  favorable 
  

   opportunity 
  for 
  trying 
  the 
  trawl-line, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  baited 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose, 
  it 
  was 
  set 
  as 
  nearly 
  as 
  possible 
  on 
  the 
  spot 
  where 
  the 
  fish 
  were 
  

   taken, 
  but 
  without 
  success. 
  The 
  ridges 
  on 
  which 
  snappers 
  are 
  taken 
  

   are 
  so 
  narrow 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  set 
  the 
  line 
  in 
  exactly 
  the 
  right 
  spot, 
  

   particularly 
  in 
  the 
  strong 
  currents 
  prevalent 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  The 
  breeze 
  

   was 
  quite 
  fresh 
  also, 
  which 
  served 
  to 
  drift 
  the 
  fishermen 
  off 
  the 
  ridge. 
  

  

  At 
  5.45 
  p. 
  m. 
  we 
  started 
  for 
  port, 
  the 
  wind 
  then 
  blowing 
  a 
  moderate 
  

   gale 
  from 
  ISHSTW., 
  continuing 
  until 
  the 
  following 
  morning, 
  when 
  it 
  grad- 
  

   ually 
  died 
  out. 
  We 
  reached 
  Pensacola 
  navy-yard 
  at 
  3.L5 
  p. 
  m. 
  on 
  

   March 
  9, 
  and 
  made 
  fast 
  to 
  the 
  wharf. 
  On 
  March 
  12, 
  preparations 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  been 
  completed 
  for 
  our 
  final 
  departure 
  from 
  Pensacola, 
  we 
  cast 
  off 
  

   from 
  the 
  wharf 
  at 
  5.10 
  p. 
  in., 
  and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  sea. 
  

  

  We 
  had 
  already 
  made 
  extensive 
  explorations 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  

   about 
  the 
  meridian 
  of 
  Mobile 
  and 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  latitude 
  28° 
  X. 
  

   in 
  1,467 
  fathoms 
  of 
  water 
  we 
  commenced 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  dredgings, 
  whicl 
  , 
  

  

  carried 
  into 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  25 
  fathoms 
  off 
  Pensacola. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  cor 
  e 
  

   the 
  exploration 
  we 
  stood 
  to 
  the 
  southward 
  during 
  the 
  night, 
  and 
  q 
  28 
  

   the 
  following 
  morning 
  cast 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  724 
  fathoms, 
  brown 
  and 
  .-ay 
  

   mud, 
  latitude 
  28° 
  47' 
  30" 
  X., 
  longitude 
  87° 
  27' 
  W. 
  Five 
  hauls 
  were 
  : 
  ade 
  

   during 
  the 
  day 
  between 
  the 
  above 
  position 
  and 
  latitude 
  28° 
  34' 
  N,, 
  lon- 
  

   gitude 
  86° 
  48' 
  W., 
  in 
  335 
  fathoms, 
  in 
  a 
  direction 
  about 
  E. 
  by 
  S., 
  and 
  at 
  

   nearly 
  equal 
  intervals. 
  

  

  The 
  hauls 
  were 
  all 
  successful, 
  bringing 
  up 
  a 
  great 
  variety 
  of 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  : 
  many 
  holothurians, 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  mollusca, 
  a 
  naked 
  mollusk 
  

   which 
  was 
  remarkable 
  for 
  its 
  size, 
  a 
  large 
  red 
  crab 
  (Geryon 
  quinquc- 
  

   dens), 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  shrimp 
  and 
  deep-sea 
  fish, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  of 
  which 
  

   we 
  did 
  not 
  recognize. 
  There 
  were 
  also 
  several 
  very 
  large 
  tubes 
  of 
  the 
  

   worm 
  Hyalinacea 
  artifex 
  (f 
  ), 
  compound 
  ascidians, 
  cup-eorals, 
  Acanella, 
  a 
  

   variety 
  of 
  starfish, 
  sponges, 
  sea-anemones, 
  and 
  the 
  usual 
  number 
  of 
  

   minute 
  Crustacea, 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  being 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  wing-nets. 
  

  

  A 
  set 
  of 
  serial 
  temperatures 
  and 
  specific 
  gravities 
  was 
  taken 
  during 
  

   the 
  forenoon 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  500 
  fathoms, 
  latitude 
  28° 
  43' 
  N., 
  longitude 
  

  

  