3410 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. When upon herring, I will ask you with regard to the south coast 

 of Newfoundland as a herring spawning ground. What are your views 

 with regard to it? A. I only know of three or four localities where 

 herring has been observed to spawn, although I have not a shadow of 

 doubt it does spawn to an enormous extent upon the southern coast. 



Q. Professor Baird stated that the southern coast of Newfoundland 

 is the great spawning ground for herring. Do you concur with him in 

 that statement ? A. Certainly. It is one of the great spawning grounds. 

 There is not a shadow of doubt that the herring spawns from Cape Cod 

 to the Straits of Belle Isle. 



Q. Professor Baird designates the southern coast of Newfoundland as 

 the great spawning ground for herring of America. Do you agree with 

 him ? A. Yes, altogether. There are very erroneous views entertained 

 by fishermen with respect to the spawning grounds of herring, and also 

 with regard to the spawning grounds of all fish whose spawn adheres to 

 the bottom. The herring spawns in water from 5 to 130 fathoms in 

 depth. Caplin, instead of spawning only in great number on beaches, 

 as is generally supposed, spawn also in 30 fathoms. The launce also 

 spawn on the Grand Banks, where they have been caught full of ripe 

 spawn, and they spawn also to some extent on the Newfoundland coast. 



Q. Professor Baird pointed out Grand Manan as one of the great 

 spawning grounds for herring. Do you concur with him ? A. Cer- 

 tainly. 



Q. Having stated your views with regard to herring, would you be 

 kind enough to continue to answer the question I put to you with regard 

 to bait? A. The season of the year, excluding herring, determines to 

 a very considerable extent the bait which is used, especially on the coast 

 of Newfoundland. The first kind of bait you have there is caplin, and 

 aplin is found only as far as the southern portion of the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence. It is essentially a cold-water fish. It is found in immense 

 quantities off Greenland, to an enormous extent upon the northern por- 

 tion of Norway, where the cod-fishing in the summer season is not called 

 summer cod-fishing, but the caplin fishery, simply from the cod following 

 the caplin inshore. The next bait, as a general rule but it varies very 

 much each year is squid. Sometimes launce comes in before squid. 

 I have heard of one or two cases of squid coming in as early as June. 



Q. Have you any reason to give why the bait-fish approach our 

 shore's the herring, squid, caplin, and launce I A. I think there is a 

 reason, but I think the reason that is generally stated, viz, that they 

 approach the shore for the purpose of spawning, is begging the ques- 

 tion. I think it is doubtful whether they approach the shore only for 

 that purpose. They approach the shore because they are driven by 

 predaceous fishes which feed on them. The cod follows the caplin 

 and drives it inshore, owing to the circumstance that during the spawn- 

 ing season, as far as known, all fish have peculiar odors developed. The 

 caplin has the cucumber odor, and so strongly is it developed during the 

 spawning season, that Newfoundland fishermen will tell you they can 

 smell capliu for miles. I have smelt it 50, 60, or 80 yards "and not seen 

 any, but there have been men before me with a bag of fresh caplin. 

 The smelt has also the odor of the cucumber, which appears to be de- 

 veloped during the spawning season, and lures the cod inshore. The 

 herring has also a peculiar odor, but it is totally different from that of 

 the cucumber. And we have a particular reason why it is developed 

 only during the spawning season, viz, that afforded by the remarkable 

 phenomenon which exists in Newfoundland in the winter. All along 

 the southern coast, and I have no doubt on the coast of the United 



