552 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [C2] 



She began fishing with hand-lines on the rocky shoals 4 or 5 miles 

 distant from Eastern Point, and continued this work whenever the 

 weather permitted until the end of the month. In the mean time some 

 live-cars had been built and moored near Ten Pound Island, and the 

 cod were on suitable occasions transferred from the well to the cars.* 



As usual on the New England coast, the weather was rough and 

 windy throughout December, and as a consequence there were only 

 twelve days that were suitable for fishing ; on one of these an anchor 

 was lost, and, as the wind blew up strong soon after, the vessel re- 

 turned to port. 



Notwithstanding the adverse conditions, a total of 940 cod and G pol- 

 lock were taken on handlings, of which, however, 357 cod and 5 pollock 

 died in the well or in the live-cars before the close of the month, leaving 

 589 cod and 1 pollock alive as a result of the fishing in December. 



Between Christmas and the 1st of January the cod apparently moved 

 off the rocky shoals into deeper water, and it became necessary to use 

 trawl lines. Trawls were set for the first time on January 2 and 

 hauled on the next day, with indifferent success, only 21 cod, 2 hake, 

 and 1 haddock being taken. Fishing with trawls was continued until 

 the Gth of January, but comparatively few fish were taken. 



In compliance with orders from the Commissioner, I left Washington 

 on December 20, in company with Colonel McDonald, who went to 

 make a final inspection of Ten Pound Island Hatchery, and to make any 

 additional arrangements that might seem necessary for supplying it 

 with fish eggs during the winter. We reached Gloucester on December 

 21, and on the next day made a trip to the fishing grounds on the 

 Grampus. I remained in Gloucester until January 4, when I left there 

 and arrived. in Washington on the following day. 



Soon after this, however, the weather became much colder, and the 

 temperature of the water in the harbor fell so low that ice began to 

 form, and shortly all the fish in the well of the Grampus and those that 

 had been placed in the live cars died. Unfortunately, too, this 

 occurred before the hatchery was fully completed, and thus the eggs 

 which might otherwise have been obtained from the live fish wore not 

 secured. 



C.— COLLECTING FISH EGGS. 



Since the weather continued very cold and the harbor was frozen over 

 to a greater or less extent, it was evidently of no use to catch live fish, 

 for they would die as soon as the vessel entered the harbor. In a letter 

 dated January 5, Mr. Robinson, superintendent of the hatchery, made 

 the following suggestion for collecting cod eggs from the fishermen : 



u I am sure that we can secure more eggs by keeping some of our 

 force on the Grampus to collect the spawn than by catching the fish and 

 penning them. Capt. D. E. Collius is of the same opinion." 



* For details see Table 1. 



