168 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
for eggs in order to try eating some of them fried they replied that they never found the pea so late 
im the year. 
Foop.—The food of the cod is extremely various, and on accouut of this fact collectors have 
always paid much attention to an examination of their stomachs and been richly rewarded. The 
fish is liable to swallow almost anything that comes in its way, so that stories are by no means 
uncommon of jack-knives lost overboard returning to their owners again when the day’s catch of 
fish was dressed. Invertebrates of many sorts are a favorite food, and other species of fish are 
often eaten. Of fish I noted only two species among stomach contents; the lant, Ammodytes 
americanus, was very often found and seemed to be very much liked by the fish. One specimen of 
Cottus spinosus was also observed. Among thé invertebrates Hyas araneus was found in enor- 
mous numbers, from fifty to one hundred specimens being obtainable from almost every haul. 
Curiously the more common species of the genus H. coarctatus was not observed on the Bank 
by any of the crew. Numerous other crustaceans were also found. Among mollusks two or three 
species of Buccinum were found, Fusus ventricosus, Pecten islandicus, Siliqua costata, and sundry 
other species. Large numbers of Thyone elongata, sea urchins, and sea anemones also occurred 
frequently. 
KINDS oF BOTTOM.—The habit among the fish of frequenting certain kinds of bottom and 
keeping away from others seems quite well recognized among the fishermen. The fact is always 
kept in view by a skipper when he is about to anchor, and when he does not know from his chart 
or by experience the character of the bottom, he makes a sounding, and from the greased end of 
the lead draws his own conclusions. Should this lead him to infer a bottom of bright sand, and 
one almost destitute of invertebrate life, he would not come to anchor. If the indications led him to 
expect hard rocks or shells, and hence the presence of “curios,” he would regard it as a likely place 
for fish, and bring the vessel “to an anehor.” The charts are usually constructed so as to show 
the character of the bottom at any part of the Grand Bank, and to the knowledge that he may 
gain in this way the skipper adds the knowledge of places that were good in former trips. He 
never anchored in a place blindly, in total disregard of the character of the bottom, and informed 
me of it in every station in which we fished. 
THROWING GURRY OVERBOARD.—It has often been affirmed that the practice of throwing the 
gurry overboard had the effect of diminishing the daily catch. I did not observe that it had any 
effect whatever. By a reference to the tabulated statements of the catch made by the Victor it 
can be seen just how many fish were taken in each haul. It will be noticed at once, by a glance 
at this table, that the vessel, during the second baiting, remained in Station 11 from August 
22 till August 30, making eight successive sets in the same berth. It is true that toward the end 
of this time the catch fell off. The same thing occurred in the first and third baitings, when 
the vessel made a berth every day, and is to be accounted for by the poor bait. After having 
remained several days in the bait-pen, the lower layers become so much deteriorated as to be 
almost worthless, and fail utterly of attracting the fish. In the second baiting, so long as the 
bait held out, the fish were captured, and the table Shows a fair average haul each day, with 
such-fluctuations as show that the gurry thrown overboard in the operation of dressing could 
not have made much difference in the numbers of fish taken. 
FRESH VERSUS SALT BAIT.—I have elsewhere alluded to the relative efficiency of fresh and 
salt bait. I presume that it is not so much for me to say what are the tastes of the fish regarding 
bait as what usages I observed among the men. It is a very well known fact that the practice 
of using fresh bait is only a recent one among the Grand Bank fishermen. In former times salt 
clams and salt herring were used, and with good effect. To-day, however, the practice is almost, 
