14: GILPIN — 'ON THE FOOD FISHES OF NOYA SCOTIA. 



sometimes make unaccountable Trinter migrations, we know little^ 

 The mackerel are no exception to this rule ; whilst on the surface 

 they are verj susceptible to stormy weather ; a rough Nov^embei- 

 sending them off, whilst they linger on the surface during the whole 

 of a mild Indian summer till December. 



Although our fishermen m.auatain that they perform biannual 

 migrations east and west, that they set their nets facing the west in 

 spring and facing east in fall, that they watch them passing from 

 head point to head point, and doubtless those seen at rare intervals 

 on the Labrador must have migrated there, yet I still think these 

 migrations are but very partial, and that the great body of our 

 mackerel rethe to deep soundings, as it were, on our coasts, 

 perhaps to bury themselves in the mud and ooze, in a semi torpid 

 condition. Our fishermen afiirm that their stomachs are found 

 empty, very late in November, and the fatter the fish the emptier 

 the stomach, as if they were preparing for hybernation, as our bears 

 and marmots do under very different circumstances. The stomach 

 of the mackerel from which I made my description for this paper, 

 2Tth October, v.^as filled with about a table-spoonful of green pulta- 

 ceous matter in which vras a fish scale. But tiic later in the year 

 the fatter the fish : no No. I's are ever branded in spring or early 

 fall. Thus they disappear in jSTovember very fat, and re-appear very 

 lean in Islaj. I am still of the oj)inion that our fisliermen's vieM-s 

 are in the main correct, and would again bear testimony to their 

 accuracy. When we consider the immense quantities of food con- 

 sumed bv the large schools around our shores, v,e must at once 

 perceive that a perpetual migration is necessary. They must con- 

 tinually seek new hunting ground. The various tides, currents and 

 eddies, along our coast, must incessantly influence their motions, 

 since these currents sweep down acres and acres of surface food for 

 them ; therefore we are prepared to hear of their appearing at 

 uncertain intervals, of their leaving a coast for years, and then 

 returning unexpectedly to it. There is no doubt that by patient 

 observation of all the facts passing around u-=:, and by comparing 

 them with meteorological tables of past years, one might come to 

 predict a good or bad fishing season, but that we couW ever contz'ol 

 one, would be beyond oxw highest expectations. For the two last 

 seasons the catch has been very abundant on ou^ coast. For 



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