AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3411 



States, herring are lying under the land during winter at depths of 

 from 15 to 30 fathoms. There are lying a little farther out seaward, 

 especially on the coast of Newfoundland, from one to two miles out, 

 but in a different zone, millions of cod. You have the herring and its 

 prey lying close together, but they never come in conflict with each 

 other during that season of the year. 



Q. Why do they not ? A. The cod is found in from 150, 180, and 

 200 fathoms. The large herring is, comparatively speaking, near the 

 surface at a depth of 30 fathoms or so, according to the zone of 

 temperature. The cod is feeding on the young herring, which are found 

 deeper down. When you catch winter cod you will almost invariably 

 find herring or caplin in their stomachs. If it were not so, the species 

 would very soon be destroyed ; it seems to be a providential arrange- 

 ment by which the species is preserved. It is the same with regard to 

 many other fish. Their young separate from them and go into the dif- 

 ferent zones of water during different periods of the year. The ques- 

 tion you asked me some time ago with respect to the island is another 

 illustration. It is the young or fry of the herring which go to the edge of 

 the great deeps off our coast. You have only to go 100 miles to the 

 south of Halifax and you plunge down to a depth of 3 miles. From a 

 depth of 90 fathoms you plunge down a mountain range, only 30 miles 

 south of Cape Sable, with a depth of three miles, or 20,000 feet. So it 

 is at the edge of the Grand Bank, and all along the coast of Newfound- 

 land. Even in Trinity Bay you have a depth of 1,800 feet. In these 

 deep marine valleys and on the mountain ridges you have fish distributed 

 in zones of temperature during the winter. All along the steep banks 

 you have zones of vegetation and of animal life. At a depth of 1,600 

 feet you discern enormous quantities of sponges, and as you rise to the 

 crest at Sable Island or Grand Bank you come upon an enormous mul- 

 titude of star-fish of all ages and sizes, and the star-fish always approach 

 the laud or shoals in the spring to feed upon the shell fish there. They 

 feed on the enormous multitudes of whelks found all over the Labrador 

 and Newfoundland coasts, and you can see them in very calm weather 

 encircling the whelks and sucking the contents into their protruded 

 stomachs. 



Q. The conformation*of the coast of Newfoundland, the depth of wa- 

 ter, the deep bays and inlets, and numerous islands do you think these 

 conditions peculiarly adapted to constitute the home of the codfish ? 

 A. Yes. I think there is no part of the world where, owing to the oro- 

 graphic features of the coast-line, all the conditions of life for the cod 

 are developed to such an extent as on the northeast coast of Newfound- 

 laud, the northern portion of the Grand Banks, and the southern part of 

 the.island. The proof is afforded by the amazing multitude of seals 

 which come every winter, to the extent of three or four millions, and 

 they feed largely upon codfish. They are found bringing the codfish 

 on the ice. Where the ice drifts into deep bays you will very frequently 

 find the seals, especially the old seals, bringing codfish and placing them 

 on the surface of the ice. 



Q. In what month of the year does that occur ! A. From February 

 to the middle of April. 



Q. Will you state generally your views as to the progress and devel- 

 opment of the Newfoundland fisheries since they have been known, to 

 tar as your information goes? A. I speak now of the Newfoundland 

 fisheries as distinct from the Bank fisheries. 



Q. I am speaking now of the Newfoundland inshore fisheries. You 

 are aware that from the coast of Newfoundland the Bank fishery is not 



