﻿20 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [18] 
  

  

  blowing- 
  ;i 
  moderate 
  gale 
  from 
  NE., 
  with 
  rough 
  sea, 
  and 
  at 
  a. 
  in. 
  the 
  

   engines 
  were 
  slowed 
  to 
  half-speed, 
  not 
  only 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  easing 
  

   the 
  vessel, 
  but 
  to 
  avoid 
  passing 
  ground 
  on 
  which 
  we 
  wished 
  to 
  try 
  the 
  

   trawl. 
  Many 
  flying-fish, 
  a 
  largo 
  school 
  of 
  porpoises, 
  and 
  a 
  couple 
  of 
  

   huge 
  sharks 
  were 
  seen 
  during 
  the 
  day. 
  Well-defined 
  brown 
  streaks 
  in 
  

   the 
  water 
  were 
  noticed 
  by 
  the 
  officer 
  of 
  the 
  deck 
  during 
  the 
  evening, 
  

   which, 
  upon 
  examination, 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  masses 
  of 
  small 
  medusa?. 
  

  

  The 
  wind 
  and 
  sea 
  moderated 
  during 
  the 
  night, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  following 
  

   morning, 
  April 
  1, 
  two 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  trawl 
  were 
  made: 
  No. 
  2415 
  in 
  440 
  

   fathoms, 
  sand, 
  shells, 
  and 
  foraminifera 
  ; 
  and 
  No. 
  2410 
  in 
  270 
  fathoms, 
  

   coral 
  and 
  broken 
  shells. 
  A 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  coral 
  was 
  brought 
  up 
  in 
  

   the 
  first 
  haul, 
  enough 
  to 
  fill 
  the 
  table-sieve. 
  Although 
  there 
  were 
  many 
  

   gorgonians, 
  the 
  bulk 
  was 
  true 
  corals. 
  Sponges, 
  ophiurans, 
  sea-anem- 
  

   ones, 
  annelids, 
  living 
  shells, 
  and 
  small 
  Crustacea 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  abund- 
  

   ance. 
  There 
  were 
  also 
  a 
  few 
  starfish 
  and 
  several 
  deep-sea 
  fish. 
  A 
  nota- 
  

   ble 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  haul 
  was 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  a 
  stalked 
  crinoid, 
  which 
  we 
  did 
  

   not 
  recognize. 
  There 
  was 
  also 
  a 
  bright- 
  red 
  fish, 
  somewhat 
  resembling 
  

   the 
  Norway 
  haddock, 
  which 
  was 
  not 
  recognized, 
  although 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  

   well 
  known 
  species. 
  The 
  second 
  haul 
  brought 
  up 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  

   glass 
  sponges, 
  from 
  which 
  some 
  fine 
  specimens 
  were 
  obtained, 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  gorgonian 
  corals, 
  small 
  Crustacea, 
  fish, 
  aud 
  a 
  few 
  starfish. 
  

  

  Later 
  in 
  the 
  day 
  we 
  stood 
  inshore, 
  and 
  at 
  p. 
  m. 
  sounded 
  in 
  80 
  

   fathoms, 
  gray 
  sand 
  and 
  broken 
  shells, 
  latitude 
  31° 
  54' 
  45" 
  N., 
  longi- 
  

   tude 
  79° 
  17' 
  W., 
  and 
  tried 
  the 
  hand-lines, 
  baited 
  with 
  salt 
  mackerel, 
  for 
  

   tilefish, 
  but 
  without 
  success. 
  Serial 
  temperatures 
  were 
  taken, 
  and 
  at 
  

   0.45 
  p. 
  m. 
  we 
  steamed 
  ahead 
  on 
  our 
  course 
  to 
  the 
  eastward. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  day 
  was 
  clear 
  and 
  pleasant, 
  with 
  moderate 
  easterly 
  

   winds 
  and 
  smooth 
  sea. 
  We 
  cast 
  the 
  trawl 
  at 
  12.13 
  p. 
  in., 
  station 
  2417, 
  

   in 
  95 
  fathoms, 
  fine 
  gray 
  sand, 
  but 
  it 
  came 
  up 
  empty. 
  It 
  was 
  lowered 
  

   again 
  immediately 
  in 
  90 
  fathoms, 
  gray 
  sand, 
  station 
  2418, 
  and 
  brought 
  

   up 
  a 
  few 
  skates 
  and 
  flounders, 
  several 
  flat 
  sea-urchins, 
  crabs, 
  small 
  fish, 
  

   starfish, 
  &c. 
  It 
  was 
  our 
  intention 
  to 
  try 
  the 
  hand-lines 
  for 
  tilefish, 
  but 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  was 
  so 
  barren 
  that 
  we 
  did 
  not 
  consider 
  it 
  worth 
  while. 
  We 
  

   stood 
  on 
  until 
  5.25 
  p. 
  m., 
  when 
  we 
  lowered 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  107 
  fathoms, 
  

   fine 
  gray 
  sand 
  and 
  black 
  specks, 
  station 
  2419. 
  It 
  brought 
  up 
  several 
  

   sea-urchins, 
  starfish, 
  small 
  Crustacea, 
  and 
  three 
  species 
  of 
  fish. 
  Trial 
  

   lines 
  were 
  put 
  over 
  for 
  tilefish, 
  but 
  none 
  were 
  taken. 
  We 
  hardly 
  ex- 
  

   pected 
  to 
  find 
  fish 
  of 
  large 
  size 
  on 
  a 
  bottom 
  so 
  barren, 
  but 
  made 
  the 
  

   trial, 
  as 
  we 
  had 
  steamed 
  so 
  far 
  out 
  of 
  our 
  course 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  

  

  At 
  0.30 
  p. 
  m. 
  we 
  stood 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  keeping 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream, 
  

   and 
  at 
  10 
  p. 
  in., 
  April 
  3, 
  sounded 
  in 
  2340 
  fathoms, 
  blue 
  ooze, 
  latitude 
  

   30° 
  30' 
  X., 
  longitude 
  73° 
  14' 
  W., 
  and 
  took 
  serial 
  temperatures. 
  At 
  11.45 
  

   p. 
  m. 
  we 
  started 
  ahead, 
  steaming 
  to 
  the 
  westward. 
  The 
  wind, 
  which 
  

   was 
  moderate 
  in 
  the 
  morning, 
  increased 
  during 
  the 
  night, 
  the 
  barome- 
  

   ter 
  falling 
  steadily. 
  At 
  2 
  a. 
  m., 
  April 
  4, 
  sounding 
  and 
  serial 
  temper- 
  

   atures 
  were 
  taken 
  in 
  1010 
  fathoms, 
  No. 
  703, 
  latitude 
  30° 
  45' 
  N., 
  lougi- 
  

  

  