64 



BULLETIN 792, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SQUID. ',' 



In the special report of the Bureau of Census on the Fisheries! of 

 the United States the squid is referred to as "cuttle-fish." They ^re 

 "mollusks found in large numbers all along the coast. The 'common 

 •squid,' 'octopus,' 'calamary,' sea arrow,' etc., are different species 

 found in particular localities. They are caught in fish pounds, seines, 

 weirs, and trawls and with fishhooks; large numbers are also taken 

 by driving them on shore by 'torching.' Some are caught with a 

 peculiar arrangement of hooks called a 'squid jig.' Different species 

 vary in length from a few inches to 50 feet. They are important as 

 a bait for many useful fish and as food for man. Oil, 'cuttle bone,' 

 a dentifrice, india ink, etc., are also obtained from them." 



The report on January 1, 1918, showed 2,065,680 pounds of squid 

 in cold storage on that date. This was 68.5 per cent more than the 

 quantity held on the same date in 1917. The stocks decreased until 

 May 15, when 362,513 pounds remained in cold storage. An increase 

 occurred on August 15, the stocks then again decreased and on Decem- 

 ber 15 amounted to 326,247 pounds. 



Table 58.^-Monfhly cold storage holdings of frozen squid during 1918, and increase 

 or decrease during each month. 



Month. 



Holdings 



Relative 



on fifteenth 



percent- 



of month. 



age. 



Pounds. 



Per cent. 



2,065,680 



100.0 



1,694,7]8 



82.0 



1,241,447 



60.1 



600,308 



29.1 



362,513 



17.5 



787,073 



38.1 



825,286 



40.0 



1,133,785 



54.9 



991,101 



48.0 



1,011,756 



49.0 



597,664 



28.9 



326,247 



15.8 



Increase or decrease 

 during month. 



January... 

 February.. 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September 



October 



November 

 December. 



Pounds. 

 -370,962 

 -453,271 

 -641,139 

 -237,795 

 +424,560 

 + 38,213 

 + 308,499 

 - 142,684 

 + 20,655 

 -414,092 

 -271,417 

 - 57,859 



Per cent. 



- 18.0 



- 26.7 



- 51.6 



- 39.6 

 + 117.1 

 + 4.9 

 + 37.4 



- 12.6 



+ 



2.1 

 40.9 

 45.4 

 17.7 



Table 59. — Monthly cold storage holdings of frozen squid during 1918 compared with 



those of 1917. 



Month. 



Reported for 1918. 



Storages 

 reporting. 



Holdings 



reported 



on fifteenth 



of month. 



Comparison with 1917. 



Storages 



reporting 



for both 



dates. 



1917. 



Increase 



or 

 decrease. 



January 



February.. 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September 



October 



November 

 December. 



Number. 

 36 

 39 

 42 

 39 

 30 

 24 

 30 

 27 

 25 

 27 

 33 

 34 



Pounds. 



2,065,680 



1,694,718 



1,241,447 



600,308 



362,513 



787,073 



825,286 



1,133,785 



991,101 



1,011,756 



597,664 



326,247 



Number. 

 27 

 29 

 31 

 30 

 22 

 16 

 23 

 20 

 19 

 26 

 33 

 33 



Pounds. 



1,068,212 



666,075 



628,870 



347,205 



267,583 



1,387,202 



1,501,790 



1,901,277 



2,470,616 



2,863,006 



3,052,079 



2,434,430 



Pounds. 



1,799,466 



1,168,351 



1,008,667 



480,362 



273,914 



534,631 



609,461 



948,434 



827,809 



986,814 



597,664 



326,247 



Per cent. 



+ 68.5 

 + 75.4 

 + 60.4 

 + 38.4 

 + 2.4 

 -61.5 

 -59.4 

 -50.1 

 -66.5 

 -65.5 

 -80.4 

 -86.6 



