962 A Brief Biography of the Halibut. [October, 
On the coast of Newfoundland, Anticosti and Labrador, in 
summer, halibut frequently run inshore after capelin. When in 
shallow water near the shore they are usually wild and very 
active. Within eight years the fishermen have extended their 
fishing much farther out to sea; previous to that time the greater 
part of the halibut were taken on top of the Grand bank in thirty 
to fifty fathoms of water, but after the beginning of April the fish 
went elsewhere, and the fishermen lost sight of them. They soon 
learned, however, to follow them down the slopes of the banks, 
though before 1876 they had rarely fished in water deeper than 
seventy to ninety fathoms. Since that time, as has already been 
stated, fishing has been carried into twice or three times that depth. 
All that can at present be said in explanation of their movements is, 
that they occur in great schools, which consume the available 
food in any one locality, and are soon obliged to shift their position 
to some other place where they can find fresh supplies. It does not 
seem possible that their migrations can be caused by conditions 
of temperature or are in connection with their breeding habits. 
During the breeding season the schools sometimes remain for 
months in one locality, and these places are generally of limited 
extent. While spawning but little if any food is found in their 
stomachs. 
Food.—They are large-mouthed, ee toothed and voracious, 
and though especially adapted for life upon the bottom, doubtless 
feed largely upon crabs and mollusks. They are especially fond of 
fish of all kinds; these they waylay, lying upon the bottom, in- 
visible by reason of their flat bodies, colored to correspond with 
the general color of the sand or mud upon which they rest. 
When in pursuit of their prey they are active, and often come 
quite to the surface, especially when in the summer they follow 
the capelin to the shoal water near the land. They feed upon 
skates, cod, haddock, menhaden, mackerel, herring, lobsters, 
flounders, sculpins, grenadiers, turbot, Norway haddock and bank 
clams. Captain Ashby tells me that common flounders and 
flat fish are among their most favorite food; these they follow 
upon the shoals of George’s and Nontickes lying in wait for 
them on the sand-rips and seizing them as they swim over. He 
has seen half a bushel of flat fish stowed away tightly in the 
stomach of a single halibut. He has often seen halibut chasing 
at fish over the surface of the water. About Cape Sable their 
