﻿26 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [24] 
  

  

  rate 
  of 
  3 
  knots 
  or 
  more 
  au 
  hour, 
  either 
  partially 
  or 
  wholly 
  submerged, 
  

   as 
  occasion 
  requires, 
  we 
  secure 
  many 
  specimens 
  that 
  would 
  elude 
  the 
  

   ordinary 
  surface 
  towing-net 
  and 
  are 
  too 
  minute 
  to 
  be 
  captured 
  in 
  the 
  

   trawl. 
  We 
  have 
  seen 
  no 
  birds 
  thus 
  far 
  except 
  petrels, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  

   quite 
  numerous 
  about 
  the 
  ship. 
  We 
  heard 
  the 
  cries 
  of 
  a 
  sea-bird 
  at 
  

   night, 
  but 
  did 
  not 
  see 
  the 
  bird 
  itself. 
  

  

  Having 
  finished 
  the 
  surface 
  towiug 
  referred 
  to, 
  wo 
  steamed 
  to 
  the 
  

   southward 
  slowly 
  to 
  change 
  our 
  ground, 
  and 
  at 
  G.27 
  a. 
  m. 
  the 
  following 
  

   day, 
  June 
  5, 
  set 
  the 
  trawl 
  line 
  in 
  09 
  fathoms, 
  black 
  mud, 
  surface 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  74°, 
  bottom 
  54°, 
  latitude 
  35° 
  27' 
  15" 
  N., 
  longitude 
  74° 
  47' 
  30" 
  

   W., 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  verge 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream, 
  meeting 
  with 
  the 
  usual 
  

   results, 
  although 
  a 
  large 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  baits 
  were 
  gone. 
  A 
  school 
  of 
  

   porpoises 
  passed 
  the 
  vessel 
  during 
  the 
  morning, 
  having 
  among 
  them 
  a 
  

   large 
  number 
  with 
  their 
  bodies 
  thickly 
  dotted 
  with 
  white 
  spots. 
  They 
  

   were 
  reported 
  to 
  me 
  as 
  "spotted 
  porpoises." 
  They 
  are 
  certainly 
  not 
  

   common 
  on 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast 
  ; 
  in 
  fact 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  recollect 
  ever 
  having 
  

   seen 
  any 
  before. 
  Every 
  effort 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  capture 
  one, 
  but 
  they 
  kept 
  

   out 
  of 
  reach 
  of 
  the 
  harpoon. 
  We 
  lowered 
  a 
  boat 
  and 
  sent 
  it 
  out 
  among 
  

   the 
  school, 
  but 
  they 
  gave 
  it 
  a 
  wide 
  berth. 
  We 
  tried 
  also 
  to 
  shoot 
  one 
  

   with 
  heavy 
  rifles, 
  but 
  tailed 
  again, 
  much 
  to 
  our 
  surprise, 
  for 
  we 
  have 
  

   some 
  excellent 
  shots 
  on 
  board. 
  

  

  A 
  curious 
  accident 
  happened 
  while 
  laying 
  out 
  the 
  trawl 
  line, 
  which 
  

   might 
  have 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  our 
  gear. 
  After 
  plant- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  weather 
  buoy 
  they 
  proceeded 
  to 
  pay 
  out 
  the 
  line 
  and 
  plant 
  the 
  

   lee 
  buoy 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  manner, 
  but 
  when 
  they 
  attempted 
  to 
  find 
  the 
  

   weather 
  one 
  it 
  was 
  nowhere 
  to 
  be 
  seen, 
  neither 
  could 
  we 
  see 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  

   vessel, 
  so 
  we 
  concluded 
  it 
  had 
  sunk. 
  On 
  taking 
  up 
  the 
  lee 
  one, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  trawl 
  line 
  had 
  parted 
  while 
  being 
  laid 
  out, 
  and 
  the 
  

   boat 
  had 
  drifted 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  of 
  the 
  weather 
  buoy. 
  Calling 
  the 
  boat 
  

   alongside 
  we 
  hoisted 
  it 
  on 
  board, 
  and 
  the 
  vessel 
  steamed 
  SSYV. 
  3 
  miles, 
  

   where 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  other 
  buoy 
  and 
  recovered 
  it 
  Avith 
  the 
  anchor 
  and 
  

   line 
  attached. 
  

  

  The 
  wind, 
  which 
  was 
  light 
  during 
  the 
  morning, 
  increased 
  rapidly, 
  

   getting 
  up 
  an 
  uncomfortable 
  sea, 
  too 
  heavy 
  for 
  boat 
  work, 
  so 
  we 
  were 
  

   obliged 
  to 
  resort 
  to 
  hand-lines. 
  An 
  unsuccessful 
  trial 
  was 
  made 
  at 
  2.11 
  

   p. 
  m., 
  in 
  50 
  fathoms, 
  fine 
  gray 
  and 
  black 
  sand, 
  broken 
  shells, 
  surface 
  

   temperature 
  76°, 
  bottom 
  63°, 
  latitude 
  35° 
  12' 
  15" 
  N"., 
  longitude 
  75° 
  05' 
  

   W. 
  Another 
  trial 
  at 
  2.3G 
  p. 
  m. 
  in 
  72 
  fathoms, 
  coarse 
  gray 
  sand, 
  broken 
  

   shells, 
  surface 
  temperature 
  70°, 
  bottom 
  G0°, 
  latitude 
  35° 
  12' 
  30" 
  K, 
  

   longitude 
  75° 
  03' 
  30" 
  W., 
  resulted 
  in 
  taking 
  one 
  sea-bass. 
  The 
  next 
  

   trial 
  at 
  2.4G 
  p. 
  in., 
  in 
  G8 
  fathoms, 
  coral, 
  temperatures 
  the 
  same, 
  latitude 
  

   35° 
  12' 
  45" 
  N., 
  longitude 
  75° 
  02' 
  W., 
  was 
  more 
  successful 
  ; 
  two 
  sea-bass, 
  

   two 
  large 
  red 
  groupers, 
  and 
  two 
  specimens 
  of 
  Gaulolatilus 
  chrysops 
  Gill, 
  

   were 
  taken, 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  more 
  nearly 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  tile-fish 
  than 
  

   anything 
  we 
  have 
  seen 
  during 
  the 
  trip. 
  Specimens 
  of 
  each 
  species 
  were 
  

   "preserved 
  for 
  examination. 
  

  

  