THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 103 



ing the schools) from the coast of Maine to Massachusetts Bay and the 

 waters off Cape Cod. They have never been followed far south of Cape 

 Cod when leaving the coast, the inclemency of the weather at that sea- 

 son generally preventing such an undertaking. It should, however, be 

 said that mackerel have been found for the past few years quite abun- 

 dant and of large size during the entire summer season and quite late in 

 the fall, in the vicinity of Block Island. 



Wo will now consider the more eastern or northern resorts of the 

 mackerel. Toward the latter part of May, about the time when the 

 southern wing of the great army of mackerel is approaching the waters 

 of Cape Cod, another body, which may be called the northern wing, 

 and which would appear to be distinct from the other, sweeps in past 

 the island of Cape Breton and enters the Bay of Saint Lawrence. The 

 mackerel make their appearance in those waters late in May or early 

 in June. These are, however, apparently but the vanguard of the 

 schools of fish that follow, and which are undoubtedly part of the 

 same body of fish that first makes its appearance on the coast of the 

 Middle States. During the month of June large quantities of mackerel 

 are moving along the coast of Nova Scotia and passing through the 

 Gut of Causo into the Bay of Saint Lawrence. Many fish are caught 

 in nets, seines, and pounds while these migrations are taking place, and 

 also during the fall when the mackerel are returning over the same 

 track on their way south, and therefore the coast of Nova Scotia for a 

 brief season in the early summer and late autumn may be considered a 

 fishing-ground for mackerel, although the fishery on that coast is carried 

 on exclusively by residents of the Province. Of the Bay of Saint Law- 

 rence it is only necessary to say that from early in June to October, 

 seldom later, this is a well-known habitat of the mackerel, though since 

 the universal adoption of the purse-seine b3 T the mackerel catchers 

 much better fares have been obtained on the coast of the United States, 

 and as a rule trips to the bay have resulted in loss. This is partly due 

 to the mackerel being less abundant and of a. poorer quality than for- 

 merly, but in a greater degree to the difficulties of seining on grounds 

 where the water is generally shoal and the bottom foul. In conclusion, 

 mention should be made of tlie fishing-ground off the east side of Cape 

 Breton Island, in the vicinity of Sidney, where mackerel have occasion- 

 ally been found abundant ; Sable Island, where they were found quite 

 numerous and of large size for one or two seasons, about 1853 and 1854; 

 and the west coast of Newfoundland, where they have been known to 

 occur at irregular intervals and where at least one trip has been ob- 

 tained by an American schooner. 



B. — The fishery marine. 



Important changes have been made in the models of fishing vessela 

 during the last half century, and in the appliance of labor-saving ap- 

 paratus to their rig and fittings. Although these improvements have 



