﻿36 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [34] 
  

  

  We 
  were 
  to 
  search 
  for 
  tile-fish 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  39° 
  X. 
  latitude, 
  and 
  

   72° 
  W. 
  longitude, 
  in 
  from 
  100 
  to 
  600 
  fathoms, 
  and 
  were 
  provided 
  with 
  

   3 
  barrels 
  of 
  fresh 
  menhaden 
  bait 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  

  

  The 
  weather 
  was 
  clear 
  and 
  pleasant 
  during 
  the 
  night, 
  with 
  moderate 
  

   SW. 
  breeze 
  and 
  smooth 
  sea. 
  At 
  7.10 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  18th, 
  we 
  cast 
  the 
  

   trawl 
  in 
  394 
  fathoms, 
  green 
  mud, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  43' 
  K, 
  longitude 
  71° 
  34' 
  

   W. 
  A 
  fishing 
  party 
  left 
  the 
  ship 
  and 
  set 
  a 
  trawl 
  line 
  in 
  the 
  position 
  

   above 
  indicated. 
  Three 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  beam 
  -trawl 
  were 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  

   day 
  between 
  this 
  position 
  and 
  latitude 
  39° 
  50' 
  45" 
  ~N., 
  longitude 
  71° 
  43' 
  

   W., 
  in 
  131 
  fethoins, 
  green 
  mud 
  and 
  sand, 
  and 
  although 
  the 
  bottom 
  was 
  

   tiot 
  particularly 
  rich, 
  many 
  ophiurans, 
  archasters, 
  and 
  worm-tubes 
  were 
  

   taken, 
  besides 
  hermit-crabs, 
  Epizoanthus 
  americanus, 
  shells, 
  sea-anemo- 
  

   nes, 
  Salpce, 
  and 
  single 
  specimens 
  of 
  Geryon 
  quinquedens, 
  Lophius 
  pisca- 
  

   torius, 
  and 
  Octopus 
  Bairdii. 
  

  

  The 
  fishermen 
  returned 
  at 
  noon, 
  having 
  taken 
  but 
  1 
  hake, 
  1 
  skate, 
  

   1 
  dogfish, 
  1 
  whiting, 
  and 
  3 
  eels. 
  The 
  trawl 
  line 
  was 
  set 
  again 
  at 
  2.15 
  

   p. 
  m. 
  in 
  137 
  fathoms, 
  green 
  mud, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  50' 
  N., 
  longitude 
  71° 
  43' 
  

   W., 
  and 
  taken 
  up 
  at 
  6.25 
  p. 
  m., 
  with 
  26 
  hake 
  and 
  6 
  skate. 
  Chester's 
  

   fish-trap 
  was 
  set 
  near 
  the 
  trawl 
  line, 
  taking 
  a 
  single 
  specimen 
  of 
  eel 
  

   (Myxine 
  glutinosa). 
  This 
  trap 
  does 
  not 
  differ 
  in 
  principle 
  from 
  the 
  ordi- 
  

   nary 
  lobster-pot, 
  except 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  made 
  of 
  wire 
  gauze 
  instead 
  of 
  wood, 
  

   and 
  is 
  intended 
  for 
  use 
  in 
  deep 
  water. 
  The 
  large 
  surface 
  net 
  and 
  sub- 
  

   marine 
  electric 
  light 
  were 
  used 
  during 
  the 
  evening 
  with 
  fair 
  success. 
  

  

  At 
  7 
  a. 
  m., 
  the 
  following 
  morning, 
  the 
  trawl 
  was 
  lowered 
  in 
  541 
  fath- 
  

   oms, 
  gray 
  mud, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  05' 
  30" 
  X., 
  longitude 
  72° 
  23' 
  20" 
  W. 
  A 
  few 
  

   ophiurans, 
  archasters, 
  shells, 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  deep-sea 
  fish, 
  and 
  a 
  

   squid 
  being 
  taken. 
  The 
  trawl 
  line 
  was 
  set 
  at 
  10 
  a. 
  m. 
  in 
  519 
  fathoms, 
  

   green 
  mud, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  05' 
  30" 
  N., 
  longitude 
  72° 
  25' 
  30" 
  W., 
  and 
  was 
  

   taken 
  up 
  at 
  4.20 
  p. 
  m. 
  with 
  no 
  fish. 
  But 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  baits 
  had 
  been 
  dis- 
  

   turbed, 
  although 
  fish 
  of 
  various 
  kinds 
  were 
  plentiful 
  on 
  the 
  bottom, 
  as 
  

   indicated 
  by 
  the 
  number 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  beam 
  -trawl. 
  

  

  Chester's 
  fish-trap 
  was 
  set 
  soon 
  after 
  the 
  fishermen 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  morn- 
  

   ing, 
  and 
  was 
  not 
  recovered, 
  the 
  buoy 
  having 
  sunk. 
  At 
  4.29 
  p. 
  m. 
  we 
  

   cast 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  542 
  fathoms, 
  gray 
  mud, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  08' 
  30" 
  N., 
  longi- 
  

   tude 
  72° 
  17' 
  W. 
  The 
  rope 
  parted 
  at 
  321 
  fathoms 
  while 
  heaving 
  in, 
  the 
  

   trawl 
  and 
  its 
  appurtenances 
  being 
  lost. 
  The 
  rope 
  broke 
  at 
  an 
  indicated 
  

   strain 
  of 
  1,700 
  pounds, 
  which 
  we 
  always 
  consider 
  well 
  within 
  the 
  limit 
  of 
  

   safety 
  ; 
  in 
  fact, 
  the 
  bridle-stops 
  are 
  intended 
  to 
  part 
  at 
  nothing 
  less 
  than 
  

   3,000 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Three 
  sharks 
  were 
  taken 
  with 
  hook 
  and 
  line, 
  two 
  of 
  them 
  unusually 
  

   large, 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  moderate 
  size. 
  The 
  latter 
  had 
  been 
  feeding 
  on 
  squid, 
  

   nearly 
  two 
  deck-buckets 
  full 
  being 
  found 
  in 
  its 
  stomach. 
  

  

  The 
  large 
  surface 
  net 
  and 
  the 
  submarine 
  electric 
  light 
  were 
  used 
  suc- 
  

   cessfully 
  during 
  the 
  evening 
  and 
  just 
  before 
  daybreak 
  the 
  following 
  day. 
  

   The 
  trawl 
  line 
  was 
  set 
  again 
  at 
  9.25 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  20th, 
  in 
  328 
  fathoms, 
  

   gray 
  mud, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  02' 
  40" 
  K, 
  longitude 
  72° 
  40 
  7 
  W., 
  and 
  taken 
  up 
  

  

  