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DEATH OF FISHES IN THE BAY OF FUNDY. 339 
stranded logs of wood piled in disorder along the shore; so 
that, excepting during furious gales, the only direct commu- 
nication with the lagoon is by the passage just mentioned. 
During high tide the waves rush up this channel with force 
stirring up the mud of the lagoon, when the water in the 
basin frequently assumes almost the consistency of pea-soup. 
Thus the lagoon is a shallow morass of brackish water at low 
tide, receiving a’constant supply of fresh water from the 
stream which js depositing its debris on the slimy bottom; 
moreover, land-shells and other organic remains are being 
tonveyed by the stream or washed by the rain into the basin, 
Whilst on the other hand the powerful tidal wave of the Bay 
of F undy brings up quantities of marine Mollusca, Radiata, 
ete., remains of which strew its bottom and sides. Such, in 
all probability, has been the usual state of matters in this 
quiet corner of the bay for unreckoned ages, broken only at 
long intervals by occurrences such as we shall now describe. 
On the 24th of September, 1867, a very heavy gale from 
the west blew directly into Anderson’s Cove, and more 
‘specially on the entrance of the lagoon at the eastern end. 
result was, that the mud became disturbed to an un- 
‘sual extent, and the amount of the water in the area was 
doubled in quantity. During the gale enormous numbers of 
fishes were seen floating on the surface of the turbid 
_ Waters of the morass, and on the following morning when the 
hurricane had subsided, a spectacle presented itself, bafiling 
anything of the kind observed by the residents on previous 
Sceasions. The entire lagoon, from its entrance to the limits 
of the tide, was covered with dead fishes. The species, with 
exception of a few mackerel and New York flounder, 
| Was found to be the young of the American herring (Clupea 
is ata) averaging about six inches in length. This fish 
‘tid to spawn in the neighborhood, and usually large 
Shoals had been observed for some weeks previously in and 
‘bout Ander son’s Cove. The author chanced to be in the 
Vicinity about a fortnight after the occurrence just mentioned, 
