228 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
ivealth, of Gloucester, to obtain information. At 5.30 p. m. we Love to, 
to try for mackerel, and also put out codfish lines. Excepting a few 
spiny-backed dogfish nothing was taken. 
I bad intended to set gill-nets in the evening, but there was too much 
sea and wind to do so. 
At 7 p. m. Capt. B. A. Williams, of tbe schooner G. P. Whitman , of 
Gloucester, came on board. I learned that he had left Gloucester on 
the 8th of April, but had not caught any mackerel up to date. He told 
me that he had recently cruised 90 miles east from the Capes of the 
Delaware, while three other vessels, in company with him at the time, 
continued the search for mackerel about 30 miles further in the same 
direction, but no fish were seen. 
During the afternoon we saw several flocks of sea-geese, a few men- 
haden, and four or five sea porpoises. 
On the 27th the weather was much finer, with a south to southwest 
wind, generally moderate and variable in force. 
At 5.40 a. m. the surface towing-net was put out for about an hour, 
and a small amount of material was taken in it. 
At 7.10 a. m., got under way and steered to the northward. At 9.30 
a. m. (lat. 37° 43' Is., long. 74° 15' W.), hove to, to try for mackerel $ 
also put out hand lines for bottom fish in 36 fathoms of water. No 
mackerel were taken, and, although dogfish were numerous and proved 
exceedingly troublesome in stripping the hooks of bait before the gear 
reached the bottom, w r e caught six large hake, in the stomachs of which 
we found an abundance of fish food. 
At 5.25 p. m. hove to, to try for mackerel, a few miles north of the 
previous position. No mackerel were taken. On the cod hand-lines 
we caught one pollock of about 20 pounds in weight, and found hake 
fairly abundant. From the stomachs of these fish there were taken 
sea-bass, alewives (or river herring), squid, mackerel, and sea-robins. 
The apparent abundance of food, and the character of the bottom, would 
suggest the possibility of this locality being a good feeding ground for 
the common hake. 
During the afternoon the small towing-net was used and a consider- 
able quantity of copepods were collected. Shortly after sunset the large 
towing-net was towed thirty-five minutes, and two young pollock and a 
few young hake were taken in it. At 7.45 p. m. hove to for the night. 
' During the most of the 28th the weather was pleasant, but in the 
afternoon the wind increased to a very fresh breeze accompanied by 
threatening weather. 
At 8.15 a. m. there were thirty-one fishing vessels in sight, most of 
them being to the northward of us, and the majority jogging.” We 
spoke with the Ossipee y of Gloucester, and her captain reported leaving 
Delaware Breakwater on April 27, in company with sixty sail of the 
fishing fleet. We u tried” for mackerel with u toll-bait ” (lat. 37° 40' 
N., long. 74° 13' W.), but without success. We then steered to the 
