BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 585 



nent; the upper jaw projects beyond the lower; both jaws are arched 

 with several rows of sharp, incurved teeth, which render necessary 

 an armature of six or eight inches above the hook, as this fish readily 

 bites off a common cod-line. 



GENUS 1. Hippoglossus. 

 SPECIES 1. Hippoglossus vulgaris The Halibut. 



This is a very large fish ; it is found on the coast of North America, 

 from Nantucket to Greenland ; and is frequently taken of the weight 

 of 200 Ibs. Dr. Storer mentions one of these fish brought into Boston 

 market, that weighed 420 Ibs. after the head and bowels were removed ; 

 and another, that weighed upwards of 600 Ibs., which was taken on 

 a bank, sixty miles south east of Portland, Maine. 



The halibut is very voracious; it swims near the ground, and 

 devours other flat-fish, as well as shells and Crustacea. In summer, it 

 is caught in shallow water, and often quite near the shore ; in winter 

 it retires to deep water. The flesh is rather coarse and dry, but it is 

 much esteemed by many; the fins and flaps are delicacies, if the fish 

 is in good condition. When the fishermen of the Bay of Fundy take 

 a number of these fish at one time, they salt the fish lightly, and then 

 dry and smoke it for winter use. 



On some parts of the coast of Nova Scotia, this fish is found in such 

 abundance, and of so large size, that the localities are avoided by 

 those engaged in cod-fishing, as a boat, or small vessel, becomes soon 

 heavy laden. 



Both eyes, and the colour of the halibut, are on the right side; but 

 Dr. Storer mentions, that reversed specimens are sometimes met with, 

 and says he examined a fish of this species, in Boston market, weighing 

 103 Ibs., with the left side coloured, and bearing the eyes. 



EXTRACTS FROM AN ARTICLE ON FISHERIES PUBLISHED IN THE 

 ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNIC A, NINTH EDITION, 1879. 



* * ***** 



The question of how long our present large supply of sea fish 

 is likely to continue is one of much interest, and the answer to it 

 depends on whether or not our fisheries are carried on in such a man- 

 ner as to cause more destruction of fish life than can be compensated 

 for by the vast reproductive powers of those fishes which escape the 

 nets and hooks of the fishermen. For more than fifty years past 

 the cry has been periodically raised that our fishermen are being 

 ruined. The general complaint has been of the wasteful destruction 

 of spawn and very young fish by beam-trawling and scan nets; and 

 in 1863 the outcry was so loud that a Royal Commission was ap- 

 pointed, not only to examine this question, but also to inquire into 

 the general condition of all our sea fisheries, the special objects of 

 inquiry being the state of the supply of fish, and the question whether 

 the methods of fishing in use involved a wasteful destruction of fish 

 or spawn, and whether existing fishery restrictions operated injuri- 

 ously on the fisheries. On these points the commissioners, after tak- 

 ing evidence all round the British Islands, were enabled to give a 



