486 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [50] 



certaiu where the most fish are being taken. This having been learned, 

 her dories are sent on board the fishing schooners most liable to have 

 large catches. In each boat are two seamen, who may be those who 

 have been trained in taking eggs, and besides there may be in one or 

 more of the dories one of our expert spawn-takers, sent out from the 

 hatching station. An equipment of collecting pans, dippers, etc., is 

 carried, the pans being peculiar in shape and specially designed for this 

 outside work. Reaching the side of the fishing schooner, and watching 

 the proper opportunity as the dory rises upon a wave, the men scram- 

 ble over the vessel's rail and climb on board, taking with them their 

 pans and other apparatus. 



" Soon the schooner's dories arrive alongside, and their catch is thrown 

 upon the vessel's deck. This is the opportunity for the Fish Commission 

 men, who handle the fish as rapidly as practicable, selecting those that 

 are ripe and immediately taking the eggs from them. This is continued 

 until the last of the fish are thrown upon the deck and all the eggs are 

 obtained which can be secured at the time. The men then quickly climb 

 into their dory, and pull away for the Grampus, unless they see an op- 

 portunity of securing additional collections on board of some other vessel 

 which has been longer delayed in hauling her gear. When the day's 

 collection is ended and the dories have all returned to the Grampus, 

 which in the mean time has been cruising back and forth, her officers 

 watching every movement, she heads away for the harbor, where she 

 anchors close to tbe hatchery on Ten Pound Island, and the eggs are 

 quickly transferred to the hatching boxes, or shipped by rail to Wood's 

 Holl." 



The eggs of other species, including those of the mackerel, are some, 

 times taken in fine tow-nets. These are attached to the stern of the ves- 

 sel, being towed from each side when she is going slowty through the 

 water. The eggs thus obtained are immediately put into water, after 

 being brought on board, and transferred to a hatching bucket described 

 in another paragraph. 



37. YOUNG FISH. 



Young fish are taken chiefly in a large tow-net 6 feet in diameter, 

 which is commonly towed from the end of the main boom when the boom 

 is guyed well out over the vessel's quarter so that the net may be in 

 water not disturbed by the schooner passing through it. 



38. DREDGING. 



The dredges are seldom used in depths exceeding 100 fathoms. They 

 are bent to the end of the whale warp, and usually one or more 20- 

 pound sounding leads are attached to the line from 5 to 10 fathoms 

 above the dredge, so as to carry the latter to the bottom. The dredge 

 is pulled in by hand. 



