﻿32 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [30] 
  

  

  on 
  the 
  previous 
  day. 
  At 
  3.45 
  p. 
  m. 
  the 
  experimental 
  water-bottle 
  was 
  

   lowered 
  to 
  500 
  fathoms 
  and 
  a 
  water 
  specimen 
  procured 
  for 
  analysis. 
  

  

  We 
  started 
  for 
  Wood's 
  IIoll, 
  Mass., 
  at 
  4.30 
  p. 
  in., 
  and 
  arrived 
  at 
  12.45 
  

   p. 
  m. 
  on 
  July 
  10. 
  

  

  The 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  scientilic 
  explorations 
  during 
  the 
  cruise 
  are 
  left 
  to 
  

   the 
  various 
  specialists 
  ; 
  this 
  report 
  aiming 
  simply 
  to 
  record 
  the 
  move- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  the 
  vessel, 
  and 
  general 
  mention 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  performed. 
  

  

  We 
  were 
  detained 
  until 
  August 
  G, 
  making 
  necessary 
  repairs 
  to 
  ma- 
  

   chinery, 
  coaling 
  ship, 
  &c. 
  At 
  G.25 
  p. 
  m. 
  on 
  that 
  day 
  we 
  left 
  port 
  with 
  

   the 
  intention 
  of 
  visiting 
  the 
  grounds 
  where 
  tile-fish 
  were 
  formerly 
  found, 
  

   and 
  to 
  secure, 
  if 
  possible, 
  specimens 
  of 
  that 
  fish, 
  having 
  obtained 
  a 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  fresh 
  menhaden 
  bait 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  Messrs. 
  W. 
  Libbey, 
  

   jr., 
  Sanderson 
  Smith, 
  and 
  L. 
  A. 
  Lee 
  came 
  on 
  board 
  as 
  naturalists 
  for 
  

   the 
  trip, 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  Mr. 
  James 
  E. 
  Benedict, 
  resident 
  naturalist, 
  and 
  

   Mr. 
  Thomas 
  Lee, 
  assistant. 
  

  

  The 
  weather 
  was 
  clear 
  and 
  pleasant 
  during 
  the 
  night 
  with 
  light 
  south- 
  

   erly 
  breeze 
  and 
  smooth 
  sea. 
  We 
  arrived 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  at 
  daylight 
  the 
  

   following 
  morning 
  and 
  cast 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  find 
  a 
  favorable 
  " 
  live" 
  

   bottom. 
  At 
  8.30 
  the 
  trawl 
  lines 
  were 
  set 
  in 
  133 
  fathoms, 
  green 
  mud 
  

   and 
  sand, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  59' 
  45" 
  23T., 
  longitude 
  70° 
  53' 
  W. 
  ; 
  49 
  hake, 
  7 
  

   whiting, 
  and 
  5 
  skate 
  were 
  taken, 
  but 
  no 
  tile-fish. 
  The 
  lines 
  were 
  set 
  

   again 
  at 
  3 
  p. 
  m. 
  in 
  129 
  fathoms, 
  sand 
  and 
  broken 
  shells, 
  latitude 
  40° 
  

   00' 
  15" 
  N., 
  longitude 
  70° 
  42' 
  20" 
  W. 
  ; 
  34 
  hake, 
  9 
  whiting, 
  and 
  1 
  haddock 
  

   were 
  taken, 
  but, 
  as 
  before, 
  no 
  tile-fish. 
  Eight 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  beam-trawl 
  

   were 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  7th, 
  near 
  where 
  the 
  trawl 
  lines 
  were 
  set, 
  the 
  re- 
  

   sults 
  being 
  mainly 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  sea-anemones, 
  sea-pens, 
  starfish, 
  

   shells, 
  and 
  fish. 
  There 
  was 
  a 
  noticeable 
  absence 
  of 
  specimens 
  which 
  

   were 
  found 
  abundantly 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  locality 
  during 
  the 
  summers 
  of 
  1880 
  

   and 
  1881. 
  The 
  large 
  surface 
  tow-net 
  was 
  successfully 
  used 
  during 
  the 
  

   evening 
  and 
  several 
  squid 
  were 
  taken 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  the 
  electric 
  light. 
  

   A 
  porpoise 
  was 
  caught, 
  the 
  brain 
  taken 
  out 
  and 
  preserved, 
  and 
  the 
  re- 
  

   mainder 
  thrown 
  overboard. 
  

  

  At 
  6.15 
  on 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  the 
  8th 
  the 
  trawl 
  lines 
  were 
  set 
  in 
  131, 
  

   fathoms, 
  green 
  sand, 
  black 
  specks, 
  latitude 
  40° 
  01' 
  45" 
  X., 
  longitude 
  

   70° 
  24' 
  W. 
  Thirty-seven 
  hake, 
  G 
  whiting, 
  2 
  skate, 
  and 
  5 
  Sebastes 
  were 
  

   taken, 
  but 
  no 
  tile-fish. 
  A 
  brisk 
  easterly 
  breeze 
  and 
  heavy 
  swell 
  pre- 
  

   vented 
  our 
  resetting 
  the 
  trawl 
  lines, 
  and 
  the 
  day 
  was 
  passed 
  in 
  dredg- 
  

   ing. 
  Six 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  trawl 
  were 
  made 
  in 
  from 
  130 
  to 
  570 
  fathoms. 
  

   The 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  day's 
  work 
  were 
  numerous 
  starfish, 
  sea-pens, 
  shells, 
  

   a 
  few 
  shrimp 
  and 
  sponges, 
  8 
  large 
  spider-crabs, 
  and 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  Acan- 
  

   ella. 
  Several 
  cephalopods 
  (Alloposus 
  mollis) 
  were 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  surface, 
  

   two 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  captured, 
  one 
  being 
  quite 
  perfect. 
  A 
  few 
  porpoises, 
  

   one 
  shark, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  a 
  petrel 
  were 
  the 
  only 
  life 
  seen 
  during 
  

   the 
  day. 
  

  

  The 
  easterly 
  wind 
  continued 
  during 
  the 
  night, 
  making 
  the 
  sea 
  too 
  

   rough 
  the 
  following 
  morning 
  to 
  set 
  the 
  trawl 
  lines. 
  Five 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  