16 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
of the fishery by the Scotch vessels, the owners of which not many 
years ago realized £50 or £60 per ton for the same oil. 
Some of the vessels brought home very miscellaneous cargoes — 1^033 
white whales, 320 walruses, and many narwhals and bears— the scarcity 
of big game, I presume, rendering the pursuit of such small deer the 
more keen. 
During his voyage to the Greenland fishery, when in latitude 70° N., 
longitude 16° W., or about half way between Jan-Mayen and Greenland, 
Captain Fairweather, of the Aurora, reports a singular phenomenon. 
On August 16, about midday, his vessel received a sudden shock, caused 
by what he considers must have been an earthquake (or seaquake). 
“The sensations,” he says, “felt by those on board were as if the ship 
was moving over a rocky bottom with great velocity.” The officers and 
crew immediately rushed on deck, thinking a boiler had burst, or that 
the ship had gone aground, but the boilers were all right, and the lead 
failed to find bottom at 100 fathoms. The weather was foggy, with 
slight rain and wind from ESE.; no upheaval of the water was noticed, 
the sea being unusually calm. About two hours later, a second but 
much lighter shock was experienced, which, however, only caused the 
vessel to tremble. 
Norwich, England, May , 1887. 
4. — RESULTS OF PLANTING SHAD IN THE KENNEBEC RIVER, 
By EVEBETT SMITH. 
[ From a letter to Frof. S. F. Baird .] 
In 1880 I accompanied and personally directed the disposition of the 
shad fry planted in the Kennebec River at Water ville, the first plant, 
I believe. My interest officially as State Commissioner of Fisheries at 
that time did not exceed my interest as a naturalist in the experiment, 
which interest has been continuous. This month there have been 
caught at Cape Small Point, at the mouth of the Kennebec River, a 
considerable number of shad of such large size, and of such general 
proportions and appearance as to show a marked contrast with the 
native Kennebec shad. As distinctive as the 3 to 5 pound shad of the 
Kennebec from the 2 to 4 pound shad of the Nonesuch River, of Cum- 
berland County, Maine, are these large shad of 5 to 7 pounds weight 
lately caught, which I believe to be Chesapeake Bay shad, hatched iu 
1880. I have examined a number of 6 and 6J pounds in weight and one 
of 7 pounds. They were caught together, evidently from one school, 
with none of the usual sized Kennebec shad of less weight and appear- 
ance. 
Portland, Me., May 26, 1887. 
