968 A Brief Biography of the Halibut. [ October, 
mission, where they were found to weigh seventeen pounds two 
ounces. Part of the eggs were nearly ripe, and separated readily, 
while others were immature and closely adherent to each other. 
A portion of the roe, representing a fair average of the size of 
the eggs, was weighed, and was found to contain 2185 eggs; the 
weight of this portion was two drams. The total number of eggs 
was from this estimated to be 2,182,773. It is not yet known 
whether the eggs float or rest upon the bottom, nor is it known 
how long is the period of incubation, nor what is the rate of 
growth of the fish. As has already been mentioned, young fish 
are very unusual; the smallest ever seen by Captain Ashby in 
Southern New England was taken on Nantucket shoals, and 
weighed two and a half pounds after it had been eviscerated. 
Abnormal individuals—* Left-handed halibut” are sometimes 
taken. Perhaps one out-of five thousand is thus abnormal in its 
form, having the eyes upon the left rather than upon the right 
hand side of the head. 
Halibut with dark spots or patches on the under side, of the 
same dark color as the back, are occasionally taken. These are 
called by the fishermen “ circus halibut.” They are generally of 
medium size and thick, well-fed fish. 
The history of the halibut fishery has been a peculiar one. At 
the beginning of the present century these fish were exceedingly 
abundant in Massachusetts bay. From 1830 to 1850, and even 
later, they were extremely abundant on George’s banks; since 
1850 they have partially disappeared from this region; the 
fishermen have recently been following them to other banks, and 
since 1874 out into deeper and deeper water, and the fisheries are 
now carried on almost exclusively in the gullies between the off 
shore banks and on the outer edges of the banks in water 100 to 
350 fathoms in depth, The species has in like manner been 
driven from the shallow fishing grounds on the coast of Europe; 
- there is, however, little reason to doubt that they still are present 
in immense numbers within easy access off the British and Scan- 
dinavian coasts, and that a good fishery will yet grow up when 
__ the fishermen of those countries shall have become more enter- 
prising. 
_ A Prophecy—tin the year 1879 there were forty vessels, of 
: 168 tons, from Gloucester, Mass., employed exclusively in the 
; halibut fishery; also vessels halme from New London and 
` eastern end of tore island are employed, except during the 
