BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 37 ? 
or grade, while the “ boxed ” fish from the trawling fleets are sold in 
another lot. No busier scene can be imagined than transpires here every 
day, and considering the quantities of fish displayed one can not help 
being occasionally surprised at the prices they sell for. All fish are 
disposed of by a number of salesmen, each of whom is empowered by 
contract to sell the catch of a certain number of smacks, he receiving a 
percentage on the sales for his services. Ood are sold by the score (that 
is, 20 fish), and these, with halibut and ling, are knocked oft' to the high- 
est bidder; trawled fish are, however, generally sold at Dutch auction, 
which is thus described by Holdsworth : 
“A lot of turbot, perhaps, is to be sold; the salesman’s bell is rung 
and the stentorian voice of the auctioneer is heard calling out, ‘ Now 
then, turbot buyers, turbot buyers, turbot buyers, come along, ye tur- 
bot buyers.’ A knot of people collects and the salesman descants in a 
few words on the quality of the fish ; a price is named, no one responds, 
Fig. 24. Loading fish vans. 
or indeed is expected to do so, for it begins too high for any dealings; 
it comes down by degrees until a nod from one of the crowd closes the 
transaction, and the sale is booked. Then calls may be made for ‘sole 
buyers,’ ‘plaice buyers,’ ‘ling buyers,’ or ‘cod buyers,’ and the work is 
rapidly got through, for there is no time to be wasted over individual 
lots where they are so many to be sold, packed, and sent away as soon 
as possible.” 
They are packed with ice in crates, barrels, and in box cars, specially 
designed for the purpose, and shipped by swift-running trains to the 
various markets they are consigned to. 
