THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 215 
1880, when Captain George H: Martin, of Gloucester, Mass., 
master of the schooner “ Northern Eagle,” fitted out with them 
for the winter cod fisheries off Cape Ann and in Ipswich bay. 
The immediate cause which led to this trial was the difficulty of 
getting a supply of bait, the procuring of which is a source of 
considerable trouble to our shore-fishermen, and its cost, even 
when obtainable, is such a heavy tax on this branch of the fish- 
ing industry, that often the fishermen hesitate to engage in it, 
fearing that the result may be a loss rather than a gain. It was 
to obviate this difficulty about bait, and to render our cod fish- 
eries more valuable in consequence, that led Professor Baird to 
bring the cod gill-nets to the notice of the American fishermen, 
The bait principally depended upon by the shore fishermen in 
the vicinity of Cape Ann, during the fall and early winter, is 
young herring (C/upea harengus), known as the “spirling.” The 
appearance of these fish about the cape is somewhat uncertain; 
sometimes large schools remain for several weeks, and at other 
times but a few can be taken. There was so little prospect of 
getting a supply of bait in the season of 1880, that Captain Mar- 
tin hesitated about fitting out for trawling, fearing that the cost 
and difficulty of securing a supply of this article, which is indis- 
pensable to the trawl-line fishery, would render the undertaking 
unprofitable. While the matter of fitting out in the old way was 
under ‘consideration, gill-nets were suggested by the father of 
Captain Martin, an employee of the Fish Commission, as a 
means of solving the perplexities of the bait question. He 
thought the idea a good one, and, together with several of his 
crew, visited the station of the Commission at Gloucester, looked 
at the Norwegian nets that were there, and consulted with the 
agent in charge as to the probabilities of success. The result of 
this interview was that Captain Martin decided to fit out and 
give the new,method a thorough trial, and nets were therefore 
obtained for this purpose, part of them being supplied by the 
Fish Commission. 
Before the trial trip was made Captain Martin had an inter- 
view with me at Gloucester, to get some additional information 
as to the management of the nets. I briefly explained to him 
the methods adopted by the Norwegians. He thought, however 
