176 



Kovem^er and December, and the Haddock come in afterwaro^ 

 one nest, as you may say, answering for both. He was unable 

 to state -when Hake or Pollock spawn, neither did he know of 

 any -difference in their condition during the spawning season. 

 Halibut spawn in large numbers at George's Bank, in the 

 months of June and July, and in localities similar to those of 

 the fish before mentioned ; there appears to be no difference in 

 their condition at this period, they being equally fat at all times. 



Various fishes require different temperatures for living. As 

 summer approaches, the Cod goes off into deeper water. When 

 these fish come upon the coast in the spring, a few are often 

 left about the rocks — and are known as the Rock Cod. The 

 Halibut also comes into shoal water in the spring. The Mack- 

 erel appears to be of a different nature ; it goes off into deep 

 ■water, and when it returns in the spring, it is lean and in poor 

 condition ; its eggs are deposited before leaving, and when it 

 returns, during the summer to the locality which it left, as is 

 the invariable custom, the eggs are then ready to mature* 

 The Mackerel are fatter, and in better condition, at the latter 

 part of the fishing season. When Mackerel come in, three- 

 fourths of them are males ; with Halibut, on the other hand^ 

 there is a far greater disproportion of sexes — nine tenths being 

 females, the males being also, much the smallest. He never 

 saw a male Halibut weighing over 60 lbs. ; while females weigh 

 from 75 to 200 lbs. Why nature had made such great dispar- 

 ity he did not know. 



Capt. A. then proceeded to speak briefly of some of the 

 fishes that spawn in rivers and sometimes proceed to sea, 

 naming, among these, the Shad and Alewife. These come in a 

 little earlier than the Mackerel, and in better condition. Shad 

 and Herring, when they arrive in fresh water and deposit their 

 eggs, are lean and poor and so remain while they are in the 

 fresh water. Salmon begin to grow poor as their eggs devel- 

 ope, which process is very slow. He concluded his remarks by 

 speaking of the Capelan, which differed from the other fish 

 named, in most of the particulars which had been given ; they 

 come to the coast at the spawning season, but remain only a 



