224 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Two of the vessels in the fleet put out their seine-boats during the 
evening, and it was evident that schools of surface-swimming fish had 
been seen ; but I afterwards learned that no fish were taken. 
The weather continued pleasant on the 11th, with a moderate to light 
breeze from west to northwest most of the day, dying away to a calm 
in the early part of the evening, and a light west-southwest breeze be- 
fore midnight ; weather pleasant and clear. 
At 5.40 a. m. we hove to to try for mackerel with “ toll-bait,” our posi- 
tion being lat. 37° 22' NT., long. 74° 39' W. At this time there were eight 
vessels in sight, and at 6.15 a. m. Captain McKinnon, of the schooner 
Mayflower , of Gloucester, spoke with us, and said he had seen plenty of 
fish in the water during the previous night. We caught no mackerel. 
Cod hand-lines were put out, but, with the exception of some spiny- 
backed dog-fish, nothing was taken. The trial for cod and mackerel 
lasted for nearly an hour. At 7.45 a. m. put out small surface towing- 
net and towed it for fifteen or twenty minutes, but took nothing in it. 
Duriug the forenoon we steered from west to southwest by south, going 
along from 4 to 5 knots. At 10 a. m. four fishing vessels were seen stand- 
ing to the westward. 
A few phalaropes were seen during the forenoon. At 1.15 p. m. 
changed course to south J west and steered in that direction about 9 
miles. At 2 p. m. saw six fishing vessels, all steeripg southward. At 
3.25 p. m. hove to to try for mackerel with “ toll-bait” in 23 fathoms of 
water (lat. 36° 58' K., long. 74° 49' W.). Ko mackerel were caught in a 
trial of about forty minutes. Got under way again at 4.02 p. m., head- 
ing to the eastward, and soon after saw fifteen fishing vessels to the 
eastward of us, manoeuvring as if a school of fish were seen. At 5.25 
p. m. we saw the seine-boat of the schooner David A. Story out looking 
for mackerel, but no fish were taken, as I learned when I went on board 
of that vessel. 
At 6.15 p. m. took in all sails excepting the mainsail. Hove to, and 
at 6.30 set two gill-nets from vessel (lat. 36° 51' N., long. 74° 34' W. 
by dead reckoning). 
At 5.25 a. m., April 12, we hauled the gill-nets and took in them one 
menhaden, but four other fish of that species which had been entangled 
in the twine fell out into the water and were lost before we could reach 
them. 
Soon after hauling the nets the head-sails were hoisted and we stood 
to the northward on the starboard tack. 
At 7.45 a. m. we spoke with the schooner Nellie M. Davis , of Glou- 
cester, and Captain Malanson came on board of the Grampus . He stated 
that he had caught 100 barrels of menhaden in one set of his purse-seine 
during the previous night. The principal part of the fish, however, he 
threw away, saving only a few barrels which were salted for mackerel 
bait. Specimens of the fish were secured from him, and we preserved 
them in. alcohol. 
