322 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Professor Baird took great interest iu the discovery of this new fish. Its fine 
flavor and attractive appearance indicated excellent marketable qualities, and its 
great abnndauce promised to be a profitable source of income to offshore fishermen. 
The Fish JSawh took 3 specimens on the 13th of September, 1880, in 126 fathoms, 
latitude 39° 57' N., longitude 70° 56' W., and so anxious was Professor Baird to gain 
additional information that he chartered the fishing smack Mary Totter, of IS'oank, in 
which Mr. Vinal Edwards left Newport for the tilefish grounds on the 29th of Sep- 
tember. A trawl line of 400 hooks, baited with menhaden, was set in 127 fathoms, but 
only a swordfish and two skates were caught. Threatening weather then drove the 
vessel back to port. 
On August 9, 1881, trawl lines were set from the Fish Haioh in 134 fathoms, lati- 
tude 40° 02' N., longitude 71° 12' W., and 8 tilefish, weighing 147 pounds, were taken. 
On August 23, in latitude 40° 03' N., longitude 70° 31' W., 73 fish, weighing 540 
pounds, were taken. The trawl line was set again on September 21 at a point farther 
to the eastward, latitude 39° 68' N., longitude 70° 06' W., in water of 113 fathoms, 
but no fish were taken. 
In March and April, 1882, vessels entering New York and other Atlantic ports 
reported that they had passed through countless numbers of dead fish while crossing 
the northern edge of the Gulf Stream. Investigation proved that these were tilefish, 
and that they appeared on the surface of the water over an area of 170 miles in length 
and 25 miles in width. A conservative estimate, made by Capt. J. W. Collins (Fish 
Commission Ileport for 1882), who has given a detailed history of the tilefish up to the 
time of this mortality, placed their number at upwards of 1,438,720,000. Allowing 
10 pounds to each fish, he has estimated that there would be 288 pounds of fish for 
every man, woman, and child in the United States. 
In September, 1882, Professor Baird chartered the Josie Beeves, and sent her to the 
tilefish grounds, that he might ascertain to what extent the species had been depleted, 
but the vessel returned without having found a single individual. This seemingly 
unprecedented destruction of marine life was extensively commented upon both by 
newsiiapers and scientific journals, and in the Eeport of the U. S. National Museum 
for 1889 the tilefish was placed, provisionally, in a list of extinct animals. 
The scientific work that finally led to the rediscovery of the animal really began 
in the summer of 1880, when the completion and equipment of the Fish Hatch made 
it possible to enter upon lines of investigation which before were out of the question. 
This vessel has added matei’ially to the practical efficiency of the Commission, and 
its frequent employment by men of science has greatly increased our knowledge of 
oceanic life. 
In November, 1880, Professor Yerrill published his memorable ‘^Notice of the 
remarkable marine fauna occupying the outer banks of the southern coast of New 
England” (Am. Jour. Sci., Nov. 1880, p. 390), iu which he gave the scientific results 
of three excursions made by the Fish Hatch. On these excursions the dredge was 
used 23 times, and an enormous number of deep-sea animals were taken. Among 
these were 130 species of inollusks, 26 echiuodei ms, 43 Crustacea, and 16 fish new to 
the southern coast of New England, and many of these animals were also new to 
science. 
During the following summer, 1881, seven excursions were made to the Gulf 
Stream, where, besides the work done with the line trawl already mentioned, the 
