FEBRUARY 15, 1884.] 
into activity; and during the day volumes of 
smoke were distinctly seen, and columns of 
flame at night. 
gustin and the peak are covered with deep 
snow. On the 10th of November, however, 
when Capt. Cullie approached the island, while 
there was a depth of four feet of snow at Port 
Graham (English Harbor), Mount St. Augus- 
tin was bare and black. 
During this same season, a party of seven 
or eight Aleuts had established themselves on 
Chernaboura (Augustin) Island to hunt the 
otter during the winter. Two of the women 
refused to remain on account of the violent 
noises inside Mount St. Augustin; and they 
were taken to St. Paul, Kadiak. Since the 
eruption no one of this party has been seen, 
nor any signs of their bidarkas, although a 
rescuing party of natives had gone along the 
coast to learn of their whereabouts. It is 
feared, therefore, that they have been de- 
stroyed. In confirmation of this report of the 
native women, Capt. Sands says that he and 
others noticed that St. Augustin was emitting 
smoke as far back as August; but no other 
signs were observed before the heavy report of 
Oct. 6. 
GEORGE DAVIDSON, 
Assistant U.S. coust and geodetic survey. 
THE COD-HATCHING EXPERIMENTS 
AT GLOUCESTER BY THE FISH COM- 
MISSION. 
In the winter of 1878 and 1879 the Fish- 
commission at that time having a station at 
Gloucester, Mass., made very extensive exper- 
iments upon the hatching of certain salt-water 
fish, but more especially of the cod (Gadus 
morrhua). For years the cod has been al- 
most entirely confined to the deeper waters 
on the coast, having been driven there by many 
causes, sewerage being the most probable and 
potent; and it has been since the discovery of 
America that these fish, at that time extremely 
abundant everywhere along the shore, even to 
such an extent that they could be caught 
in great numbers from any point of rocks, 
have become reduced in numbers to their 
present comparative scarceness, and at the 
same time driven from their former haunts to 
the deeper waters. Taking into account this 
remarkable decrease in numbers, and change 
of habitat, Professor Baird conceived the idea 
that the former abundance of cod could in part 
be restored by means of artificial propagation, 
which had proved so successful with the fresh- 
water species of fish. Many difficulties stood 
SCIENCE. 
Usually, at that season, Au- . 
189 
in the way, — difficulties which had never been 
encountered in any previous experiments. 
The principal trouble which was experienced 
resulted from the floating of the eggs, and it 
was only after many trials and numerous failures 
that an apparatus was invented which in part 
prevented the eggs from clogging the screen 
placed over the overflow-pipe. 
The location for the primary experiments 
was fixed at Gloucester, on account of the 
great industry of catching and preparing these 
fish, which is centred there. Vessels and boats 
arrive every day during the winter months, 
bringing in fresh cod, many of them contain- 
ing spawn. By the request of the commis- 
sioner, such fish were kept alive until they could 
be put into the live-box at the hatchery. It 
was also possible, and this was the most im- 
portant reason for the choice, to carry on im- 
portant investigations into the natural history 
of the deep-sea food-fishes, and to gather valu- 
able statistics concerning the fisheries ; it be- 
ing impossible to get such information in any 
other place. 
Many obstacles arose, owing to the location. 
A temperature of 30° F. is fatal to cod; and, 
as the surface-water in the harbor is lable to 
reach this point at any time during two or three 
months of the winter, it was necessary that the 
car containing the live fish from which spawn 
was to be taken should be constantly watched, 
and sunk to the bottom during every cold snap. 
The filthiness of the water caused by decaying 
waste portions of fish thrown into the docks 
— these being common receptacles for all dirt 
and refuse formed by the dressing-process — 
was such, that, even after the most careful filter- 
ing, the water was in a decidedly impure con- 
dition. The north-east storms so prevalent 
on the Massachusetts coast, especially during 
winter, kept the water in a roiled condition for 
a greater part of the time; so that when it 
reached the aquaria, although a great part of 
the mud had been filtered out, still the mudi- 
ness was apparent. Such a condition could 
not be other than an unhealthy one for young 
fish whose parents had been accustomed to the 
clear, cool, outer waters. When there were 
no storms, the great rise and fall of tide, 
about eleven feet, sufficed to keep the finer 
mud in constant circulation. But, notwith- 
standing these numerous obstacles, over one 
million and a half young cod were successfully 
hatched, and placed in the clearer waters of 
the outer harbor at Gloucester. On account 
of the impurity of the water even there, and 
the adverse conditions under which they were 
hatched, it was scarcely expected that any 
