[3] OPERATIONS OF SCHOONER GRAMPUS. 493 



IV.— Report upon the investigations made by the Grampus on the southern mackerel 

 fishing grounds, etc., from March 24 to June 30, 1888, by D. E. Collins — Cont'd. 



E. Orders for continuing the cruise. 



F. Narrative of cruise from April 30 to May 5. 



G. Iuvestigation of menhaden in Chesapeake Bay. 



3. Orders. 



4. Report upon inquiry. 



H. Narrative of cruise from May 10 to May 25. 



I. Change of commanding officer and in personnel. 



J. Cruise for live mackerel. 



K. Orders for continuing inquiry. 



L. Narrative of cruise from June 4 to 30. 



M. Tabulated statements. 



1. Table showing towings with small surface net. 



2. Table showing towings with large towing-net. 



3. Table showing trials for fish with "toll-bait" hand-lines, etc. 



4. Table showing position of occurrence of pelagic fishes, etc., during 



the spring of 1888. 



5. Record of temperatures of air, surface and bottom water, etc., from 



April 17 to June 13, 1888. 



I.— INTRODUCTION. 



The present report upon the operations and investigations of the 

 Grampus covers about sixteen months, from March 15, 1887, to June 

 30, 1888. The reason for this is found in the fact that, in the Annual 

 Eeport for 188G, a review of her work was brought down to March 14, 

 1887, and it is therefore necessary to begin at that date and to extend 

 the present report over the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, in order 

 that it will harmonize with the general plan of the Annual Report of 

 the Commissioner for that period. Fortunately the cruises of the 

 Grampus were so arranged that there is no difficulty in ending the re- 

 port with the fiscal year. 



It has been found necessary, in order to present the result of the 

 work carried on upon the vessel in an intelligent way, to divide the re- 

 port into three special sections : One of these deals with the investiga- 

 tions made in the spring and summer of 1887 on the mackerel grounds 

 from Hatteras to Labrador, and also covers other researches which 

 were made at the same time ; the second section treats of the work of 

 collecting fish and fish-eggs for the coast hatcheries ; while the third 

 takes up the investigations relating to the mackerel, menhaden, and 

 other migratory species in the spring of 1888. 



It will be evident to the most casual observer that it would be diffi- 

 cult, if not impossible, to discuss all these different investigations and 

 operations in one continuous paper, excepting it take the form of a nar- 

 rative, which would be far from desirable and would render it less val- 

 uable for reference, while the results obtained could not be so clearly 

 shown. 



