AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3403 



Q. Are the squid brought inshore also ? A. Not necessarily. The 

 squid is a tree swimming animal, but the mackerel food, which con- 

 sists very largely of these crustaceans, is brought in around the north 

 and south shores of the river Saint Lawrence and the north shore of 

 Prince Edward Island. 



Q. It brings in the floating seaweed as well ? A. Yes ; in fact every- 

 thing floating is brought in around this coast. 



Q. Knowing the habits of the mackerel, would you say that neces- 

 sarily all along that shore must be peculiar haunts for them ? A. Yes. 



Q. And within three miles? A. Generally within three miles the 

 food is brought. Then there is another point which has of course to be 

 taken into consideration, namely, "the temperature zones. That is a 

 special reason why off the coast in the gulf the mackerel fluds its food 

 so near inshore. 



Q. Explain that. A. If you will allow me to exhibit a diagram I can 

 explain it, because it shows what is meant by temperature zones in the 

 gulf.- I have here a diagramatic section of the gulf between the two 

 points Auticosti across Bradley Bank to Prince Edward Island. It is 

 a vertical section, showing the temperature zones according to obser- 

 vations made very many years ago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, for 

 example in the years 1S32 and 1836, by Admiral Baytield and Dr. Kelly. 

 They found a series of temperature zones. At 10 fathoms it would 

 be 37, at 30 fathoms 39, at 50 fathoms 33, at 110 fathoms 36. 

 They were so much surprised at this that-they made repeated trials by 

 bringing up the water from the bottom. The mode in which the Swedes 

 and Norwegians effect the same purpose is by the using of a new ther- 

 mometer. The second temperature table gives the temperature at the 

 surface 51, at 10 fathoms 38, at 30 fathoms 32.5, at 50 fathoms 33, 

 at 80 fathoms 34, at 110 fathoms 35 degrees. 



I am indebted to Professor Baird for the l.ist Swedish observations 

 which give temperature in the Baltic Sea. 



The effect of all this is to show where the fish go. They go into the 

 warm or cold zones. It shows also where the food goes during the 

 summer season. The mackerel may for particular years seetn to have 

 disappeared, but there is no doubt they are there, but they are in a dif- 

 ferent zone of water. They are in the zones suited to their different 

 habits or to the food they follow. You have a positive proof of that in 

 the toll-bait used by the American fishermen. They throw toll out. 

 Now, the mackerel are not lying on the bottom, but are in the zone that is 

 suited to their habits. They come to the surface when the bait is thrown, 

 and stay there as long as they can bear the surface temperature, and 

 then go down again. 



Q. When the Americans throw their pogiebait they toll them up; then 

 if they cannot stand the temperature they afterwards disappear ? A. 

 Yes. 



Q. Now along the shore is the water uniform, or as a rule does it vary 

 between the degrees of 45 and 37 ? A. 1 could not state precisely the 

 temperature, but the effect of the tidal wave on all the coasts of the 

 gulf is to mix the warm surface water with the cold substratum and 

 produce a temperature suitable to the mackerel, whereas on the coast of 

 Massachusetts, where the water is so warm, they are driven off into 

 the cold zone off shore. Whenever the water becomes warm on the 

 coast you will find the mackerel out to sea in the summer, and whenever 

 it is made cold by the mixing of the tides you will find ^;he mackerel 

 inshore. 



Q. Now take the American coast; show the Commission where the 



