Nov. 1 8, 1 



NA TURE 



55 



to affect the upper currents of the atmosphere, but, if 

 growing large, soon afterwards do so, in such a manner 

 that the hypothetical isobars at the level of the cirrus 

 appear to be bent into a V-shaped hollow from the great 

 polar depression to a point nearly above the centre of the 

 circular depression at the earth's surface. 



Of the depressions lately developed near the British 

 Isles and over the south-west of France, the greater 

 number originated in "troughs" of relatively low pres- 

 sure, such as have been above alluded to : and their 

 moveiTients may be said to have been unusually erratic. 

 Yet they obeyed the ordinary rule of progression, in so 

 travelling, as to have the highest general pressures on the 

 right of their course. Thus, those depressions which 

 originated near the east side of a "trough" lying north- 

 north-west to south-south-east, tended to move to north- 

 north-west, while those which originated on the other 

 side of the "trough " travelled in the contrary direction. 

 On the loth inst.. Great Britain lay between two depres- 

 sions travelling in parallel but opposite directions, these 

 directions being transverse to the mean direction of 

 movement prevalent at this season of the year. The same 

 phenomenon was repeated on the I2th inst. It is now 

 more than twenty years since I began constructing daily 

 charts of the directions taken by European depressions, 

 and during the whole of that period there has been no 

 instance entirely comparable with these. 



We must wait for reports from a very extensive portion 

 of the earth's surface before a comprehensive study of 

 these phenomena can be undertaken. Two questions, 

 so correlated that they may require but a single answer, 

 are of prime importance : — What causes the abnormal, 

 but temporarily persistent, determination of aqueous 

 vapour to certain portions of the globe ? What causes 

 the abnormal, but temporarily persistent, occupation of 

 certain portions of the globe by anticyclonic systems ? 

 W. Clement Ley 



THE WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FISH 



COMMISSION' 

 A BRIEF memorandum of what the U.S. Fish Com- 

 -'*■ mission hopes to accomplish in time, in connection 

 with its mission, is as follows : — 



(1) In the department of investigation and research 

 there is yet to be carried out an exhaustive inquiry into the 

 character, abundance, geographical distribution, and eco- 

 nomical qualities of the inhabitants of the waters, both 

 fresh and salt. The subject is practically unlimited in 

 extent, and, so far as the ocean is concerned, has scarcely 

 been touched. WWa the powerful apparatus, however, at 

 the command of the Commission it is expected that much 

 progress will be made year by year, and that the publica- 

 tion of the results and the distribution of duplicate speci- 

 mens to colleges and academies in the United States will 

 be carried out on a large scale, so as to meet a large and 

 increasing demand from teachers and students. 



(2) A second object, in connection with the sea fisheries, 

 is the improvement of the old methods and apparatus of 

 fishing and the introduction of new ones. 



The work of the Commission in bringing to the notice 

 of American fishermen the importance of gill-nets with 

 glass-ball floats for the capture of codfish has already revo- 

 lutionised the winter cod-fishery industry in New England. 

 Looked upon almost with ridicule by the Gloucester fisher- 

 men, when first brought to their notice by the Commis- 

 sion, these nets have come rapidly into use, until at the 

 present time they represent the most important element 

 in the winter fisheries, the number of fish taken being not 

 only much greater than heretofore but the fish themselves 

 of finer quality. 



' Fr m the " Report of the U.S. Coir 

 (Wpshingtony .1885). 



I of FUh and Fi-heries" 



The ability to maintain a successful fishery without the 

 use of bait is of the utmost importance, in view of the 

 fact that when the cod are most abundant bait is almost 

 unprocurable. Other forms of apparatus of less import- 

 ance have also been introduced, and a constant look-out is 

 maintained, by correspondence and otherwise, in connec- 

 tion with the impro\-ement of fishing machinery. 



(3) Another important point for consideration is that of 

 improvement in the pattern of fishing vessels. There is 

 annually a terrible mortality in the fishing crews of New 

 England, especially those belonging to the port of Glou- 

 cester, to say nothing of the total loss and wreck of the 

 fishing vessels and their contents. There has gradually 

 developed in connection with the mackerel and cod fisheries 

 of New England a pattern of vessel which, while admirable 

 for speed and beauty of lines and of rig, is less safe under 

 certain emergencies than the more substantial and deeper 

 vessel used abroad, especially in England and Scotland. 



The subject of the best form of fishing vessel has been 

 intrusted to Captain Collins, of the Commission, himself 

 a most experienced fisherman, and, after a careful study 

 of the boats of all nations, he has prepared a model which 

 is believed to combine the excellences of both English 

 and American vessels. 



An appropriation will be asked from Congress for means 

 to construct an experimental vessel and test its qualities ; 

 but until a successful experiment has been made it will be 

 difficult to induce the fishermen to change their present 

 form of construction. 



(4) The fourth object of the Commission is to deter- 

 mine the extent and general character of the old fishing 

 localities and to discover new ones. There is no doubt 

 whatever that there still remain many important areas, 

 even in the best-known seas, where the codfish and the 

 halibut will be found in their former abundance. There 

 has never been any formal investigation on this subject, 

 and the banks that are known have been brought to light 

 purely by accident. It is believed that by a systematic 

 research and a careful sur\'ey the area of known grounds 

 can be greatly extended. 



There is very great reason to hope for successful results 

 from this inquiry in the waters off the South Atlantic coast 

 and in the Gulf of Mexico. These regions, the latter espe- 

 cially, may be considered as practically unknown, the few 

 established localities for good fishing being in very small 

 proportion to what must exist. It is here that the service 

 of the fishing schooner referred to above, if means can be 

 obtained to build it, will be brought into play, and it is 

 not too much to hope that an industry will be developed 

 that will represent to the Southern and South- Western 

 States the same source of income and occupation that 

 the mackerel, cod, and halibut furnish to the fishermen of 

 New England. 



(5) There is also much to be learned in the way of 

 curing and packing fish for general and special markets. 

 The American methods have grown up as a matter of 

 routine, and are adapted to only one class of demand. 

 There are, however, many modes of preparation which 

 can be made use of to meet the wants of new markets ; 

 and thus we can enter more efficiently into competition 

 with European nations for European trade, as well as for 

 that of the West Indies and South America. 



A great advance has already been made towards this 

 desired improvement since the Centennial Exhibition of 

 1 8/5, where many methods of curing and putting up fish 

 were shown in the foreign sections that were almost 

 entirely unknown in America. Notable among these were 

 the preparations of sardines and other species of herring 

 in oil, as well as in spiced juices. Quite recently this 

 industry has been well established in Maine, amounting 

 to a value of millions of dollars, and there are many other 

 parts of the country where the same work can be done 

 with other kinds of fish. The whole subject is receiving 

 the careful consideration of the Commission, and numer- 



