INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 
475 
boats at anchor, the fish apparently congregating on detached rocky 
spots or ledges. Good fishing would continue for a time and then sud- 
denly cease, making it necessary to seek a new place. The last fishing 
for the day was done at dredging station 3054 (latitude 44° 13' N., 
longitude 124° 44' 30" W.), 53 fathoms, beginning just before sundown. 
Eleven lines were put over, "but we captured only 1 yellow-tail. It has 
been our experience that red rock-cod do not as a rule bite well in the 
evening. 
The tangles were used many times during the day, the bottom being 
too rough in most places for the beam-trawl. The fauna is as rich as on 
Flattery Bank at the mouth of the Straits of Fuca, affording good 
feeding grounds for fish. The scarcity of halibut at this place can not 
therefore be due to the quality of the bottom, and we were greatly dis- 
appointed in obtaining no trace of them. A single specimen, weighing 
10£ pounds, was taken by the Albatross in October, 1888, a season of 
the year when they might be the least expected, and it was thought 
that they would prove to be more abundant earlier in the year while 
they are most plentiful on the Flattery grounds. Our investigations 
tended to disprove the supposition, for had they been at all common it 
is more than likely we should have succeeded in capturing some of them 
during our many trials. This was the season of their greatest abun- 
dance on Flattery Bank, but it is possible, though not probable, that 
the season is different in the two regions. Mr. William T. Radir, of 
Yaquina Bay, Oregon, has recently constructed a steam schooner fur- 
nished with all the modern fishing appliances, with which he intends to 
make a thorough trial for halibut on Heceta Bank. His plans are not 
based upon the Albatross reports, but this bank has long been regarded 
by Oregon people as holding out special inducements for salt-water 
fishing, the value of which has never been determined. 
Off Yaquina Bay , Oregon . — The next morning hand-line fishing was 
begun from the dingey about 7 o’clock at dredging station 3055 (lati- 
tude 44° 41' 30" N - ., longitude 124° 09' 15" W.), 28 fathoms. This was 
in the vicinity of Yaquina Bay, Oregon. The wind was blowing fresh 
from the northwest, producing ^ choppy sea which caused the boat to 
pitch about considerably. The bottom was sandy and the results were 
negative. In the mean time, however, the beam trawl had been used 
from the ship, capturing a large quantity of flounders and several 
other species, seven in all. The bottom was again tested with hand 
lines a short distance from the last position, at dredging station 3057 
(latitude 44° 43' 41" K, longitude 124° 15' 45' W.% 43 fathoms. It had 
been reported that this was one of the localities where the true cod 
abounded, but we found there only the so-called red rock-cod, speci- 
mens weighing 7 and 8 pounds being fairly abundant. The mhabitants 
of this part of the coast are not familiar with the cod (Gadus morrhua ), 
and readily mistake for it the many species of red rock-cod. common 
