[55] WORK OV FISH COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. 171 



about S poiiuds each, the extremes being from 3 to 13 pounds) ; 1 hake, 

 2 sea bass, 1 cunuer, 2 female lobsters (2 averaging 3 pounds each, 1 

 carrying spawn), 30 small skate, spotted and brier, 1 large spotted 

 skate, 50 dogfish, and 1 goosefish. 



It is perhaps worthy of notice that none of the codfish, most of which 

 were females, had roes in an advanced stage of development; they were 

 all of the kind usually known among fishermen as "shore cod"; were 

 plump and well fed, having fat livers. Nearly all of them had a great 

 or less number of small crabs in their stomachs; in a few were found 

 partially digested flounders; while it was interesting to note that tw« 

 of the codfish had eaten young lobsters 5 to 6 inches long, two of 

 these being taken from one fish and one from another. This, taken in 

 connection with the fact of having caught two full-grown lobsters on 

 the trawl-line, a very unlikely thing to happen, would seem to indicate 

 that this species of crustacean were present in considerable abundance, 

 to say the least, and suggests the possibility of this being a breeding 

 ground of more than ordinary importance for lobsters. 



The majority of the dogfish taken were females, and nearly all of these 

 were pregnant, containing from three to seven young ones. 



A close examination failed to discover any parasites on the fish taken, 

 either on the gills or outside surface of the bodies. 



Speaking in general terms, I should say that the codfish taken were 

 what are termed "ground grubbers" or "ground feeders"; that is, fish 

 which hang about the shore grounds, and do not usually form part of a 

 large school which moves from place to place either in pursuit of food 

 or impelled by the instinct of reproduction. 



Sunday, November 4. — Leaving New York in the afternoon, we passed 

 out by Sandy Hook, from which we steered SSE. (mag.). The afternoon 

 and evening were fine, with a gentle breeze varying from S W. to NW., 

 and smooth sea. As we were steering on a course which would take 

 the ship across the track that the mackerel might be expected to take 

 when making their regular autumnal migration southwardly (which is 

 usually performed at or about this date), a bright lookout was kept, and 

 the man on watch at the bow was ordered to report if any fish were 

 seen darting about in the water. Ordinarily the presence of fish in the 

 water through which a vessel is passing can be very readily detected at 

 night by the bright phosphorescent track they leave behind when dart- 

 ing suddenly away to escape from the approaching ship. On moon- 

 light nights, however, it rarely happens that the movements of fish in 

 the water can be detected, unless, indeed, they rise to the surface and 

 their presence is discovered by the noise they make in flapping their 

 tails, rushing, <&c. 



This evening the moon was rather too bright — at least for some 

 hours — to see any fish. A school of porpoises passed by between 8 

 and 9 p. m., but nothing else was seen before midnight. 



Monday, November 5. — At 12.05 a. m. the lookout reported seeing fish 

 in the water, which he thought might be mackerel. I immediately went 



