98 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



cod, which hud there not only an abundance of shell-fish and Crustacea of 

 various kinds, but mollusks and several varieties of small hsk that they 

 are especially fond of. The appearance of large schools of cod at the 

 same time with certain kinds of bait, for instance the capelin and squid, 

 has caused these to be known to the fishermen as the "capelin school" 

 and the "squid school. 1 ' The spring fish, wbich feed largely on the 

 bottom, and to some extent on hint, are at first found the most abun- 

 dant on the southern part of the bank, but later spread over a large 

 area. The capelin school comes in May and June, and at that time fish 

 are found more or less plentiful all over the bank, although the locality 

 between the latitudes of 11° 00' and 15° 15' and that east of the Virgin 

 Eocks north of the forty-sixth parallel are the most generally resorted 

 to by trawl fishermen, while the dory hand-liners gather about the Vir- 

 gin Eocks, which is a favorite place for them at that season. The squid 

 school appears in July and is found on the same grounds as the capelin 

 school. Indeed, it is quite probable that it is made up chiefly of the same 

 fish, their numbers increased, perhaps, by some new accessions. For 

 several years but comparatively few cod have been takeu after Septem- 

 ber. Cod-fishing on the Grand Bank dates from the earliest settlement 

 of America. The halibut fishery, however, is of comparatively recent 

 date. This was begun in 1SG5, at which time, and for several subse- 

 quent years, halibut were found very numerous on the bank. At first 

 they were taken almost wholly on the Eastern Shoal Water, later on 

 other parts of the bank, and since 1875 principally in the deep water 

 along the western edge, where immense schools have been found in 

 the winter and spring, and, though less frequently, sometimes in sum- 

 mer. During the early part of the year the halibut usually do not re- 

 main long in one place, as many of the schools perform their migratious 

 at that season. The summer schools, however, are generally spawn fish 

 and move but little. 



A large fleet of French vessels of various rigs, but mostly brigs and 

 barks, resort to this bank to engage in the cod fishery. Eesides these 

 there is a fleet from the British provinces and another from the United 

 States, the whole aggregating several hundred sail, with crews number- 

 ing many thousands of men. 



FLEMISH CAP. 



Although the Flemish Cap is quite large, but comparatively little is 

 known of it, and its boundaries are not fully defiued on any of the charts. 

 It is the most northern of the large fishing banks in the Western At- 

 lantic, being located between 16° 30' and 17 59'X. latitude and themerid- 

 ians ol* 14° 06' and 45° 25' W. longitude. The extreme length is therefore 

 S3 miles and width 53 miles. The bottom is broken into patches of 

 more or less extent of mud, rocks, pebbles, gravel, and sand. A slaty 

 rock is the mostcommon on that part of the bank resorted to by fishing 

 vessels. The depth varies from 73 to 155 fathoms. 



