BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 237 
! south and the weather threatening we headed the vessel for Fort Pond 
Bay (in company with eight fishing-schooners, which were running in 
for shelter), where we arrived and came to anchor at 8 p. m. 
May 25 began with an easterly wind, foggy and rainy weather. 
I Went on board of the menhaden steamer Victor in the forenoon and 
learned from Oapt. Henry 0. Fish that the first fish taken by the men- 
haden steamers of this vicinity were caught on the 12th of May, off 
Barnegat, and others were taken off Shinnecock on the 16th instant. 
|| He stated that menhaden were numerous off Montauk, but in very 
small schools. It was his opinion that the main body of fish had not 
I then made its appearance ; usually they reach Long Island Sound 
about the middle of June and pass northwards as far as Buzzard’s Bay. 
There were twenty-nine steamers, he said, engaged in the menhaden 
fishery in that vicinity. 
Captain Chase, of the schooner Clara S. Cameron , reported having 
seen large bodies of fish southwest \ south, 45 miles from Shinnecock, 
on the evening of the 23d ; the fish were swimming too deep to ascertain 
the species. 
The fog disappeared at 6 a. m. on May 26, the wind being moderate 
from south by west to southwest. Got under way at 7 a. in., and 
headed toward Montauk. Made towing with small tow-net at 8 a. m . , 
and found Crustacea and fish eggs very abundant. While in a calm off 
Great Pond we put out the hand lines and caught a large sea bass. 
Montauk Point bore abeam at 10.50 a. in., and we shaped our course so 
as to pass 5 or 6 miles to the southward of Block Island. We saw a 
school of pollock south by east, 5 miles from Block Island. “Tried” 
for mackerel with “ toll-bait” south by east, 5 miles from the western 
point of Block Island, but notwithstanding that this trial continued 
for half an hour no fish were “raised.” It became evident, at this 
time, that the weather would be very unfavorable for the continuance 
of the investigation during the rest of the day, and I decided to run 
into Newport $ accordingly we came to anchor in the outer harbor at 
7.45 p. m. I telegraphed to Wood’s Holl to have the vessel’s mail 
forwarded to Newport. 
May 27 began with a moderate wind from south-southwest ; weather 
foggy until 7.30 p. m. Went on board of the fishing-schooner Hattie 
Evelyn , of Gloucester, during the evening, and was informed by Captain 
Cromwell that he saw large bodies of mackerel on May 18 in lat. 39° 
2P N., long. 730 39' W. He followed them to lat. 39° 56' N., long. 72® 
46' W., and there lost sight of them. The vessel’s mail arrived at 6 p. m. 
On the following day (May 28) there was a moderate wind from north- 
northeast, which increased to a fresh breeze at noon, with threatening 
weather, mist and rain at intervals. About twenty fishing vessels had 
arrived in the harbor for shelter at 8 p. m. Went on board of the 
schooner Elsie Smith , of Portland, Me. Her captain reported having 
secured, on May 27, 50 barrels of mackerel south-southeast of Block 
