THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 71 



m the regions west of the Gulf is usually accompanied by blinding 

 snow and involves the destruction of man and beast ; and on the sea- 

 coast millions of fish of all kinds frequenting- the shallower waters are 

 killed. Not unfrequently these are blown ashore in great heaps, pois- 

 oning the atmosphere and sometimes constituting by their decomposi- 

 tion the alleged cause of the yellow fever and other serious diseases. 



The most plausible explanation of the phenomena of the occurrence 

 of fossil fishes in enormous numbers is suggested by Dr. A. Leith Ad- 

 ams, of the Brtish army,* as the result of personal observation in 

 New Brunswick. The occurrence took place at a small creek, called 

 Anderson's Cove, a short distance to the east of the Magaguadavic 

 Eiver, which empties into the northwestern part of Passamaquoddy 

 Bay, not very far from the town of Saint Andrews and from Saint 

 Stephen. This cove is a lagoon of about 1,300 feet in circumference, 

 into which a small stream enters and communicates with the sea, at 

 high tide only, by a narrow channel. But in the vehement rush of the 

 Bay of Fuudy tides the water enters this lagoon with great force and 

 stirs up the mud into a paste, which runs off slowly, at low tide. The 

 incoming stream continually brings down a fresh supply of mud and 

 slime. 



On the 24th of September, 18G7, a very heavy gale from the west 

 blew directly into Anderson's Cove, disturbing the mud to an unusual 

 degree. The same storm brought into the cove immense numbers of 

 young herring, about six inches iu length, with a few other fish, as 

 mackerel and flounders. These, after the storm, were found washed up 

 on the beach in great numbers, while the mud, which by this time had 

 settled, was completely filled with them. The bottom of the lagoon 

 was covered with a layer several feet in depth, the total amount of de- 

 struction being almost fearful to contemplate. 



There is no reason to doubt that similar conditions, iu earlier times, 

 have given rise to some of the fossil deposits referred to. 



Another of the natural causes of the destruction of fish is found iu 

 the numbers of certain fishes which are stranded when seeking the shal- 

 low waters for the purpose of depositing their spawn. Of these the cape- 

 lin of Newfoundland and Gulf of Saint Lawrence is a notable instance, 

 as it comes in close to the edge of the water in enormous numbers to 

 deposit its eggs. Here the pressure of the continually succeeding 

 schools is such as to force the fish in a body on the beach, this action 

 being sometimes aided by high winds or heavy waves. Windrows of the 

 fish are to be found on the beach, which are in large part carried away 

 and used as manure on the fields. Many of these, of course, would 

 become imbedded in the sand and mud, and constitute material for the 

 investigation of the future geologist. It is iu all probability to these 

 circumstances that we owe the occurrence of the capelin as a Tertiary 



*Field and Forest Rambles, or Notes and Observations in tbe Natural History of 

 Eastern Canada. London. Henry S. King, 1873. p. 264. 



