324 
BULLETIN or THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
rel'errecl to, iiiiglit even cause such a variatiou in tlie position and tliroction ol'tiie tidal and other cur- 
rents as to cause a. direct flow of the cold inshore waters to temporarily occupy the warm area, pushing 
farther outward toward the Gulf-Stream water. The result would in cither case he a sudden and great 
reduction of temperature, perhaps as much as 15° to 20°. This could not fail to ho very destructive 
to such southern species as And here nearly their extreme northern limits. It is prohahle, however, that 
these southern sxtecies, including the tileflsh, were not thus destroyed farther south. Therefore it is 
prohahle that in a few years they will again occupy these grounds hy migrating northward, even if there 
he not enough left here to replenish their races. — (Rejiort of the United States Fish Commission, 1882, 
p.279.) 
These quotations are here inserted because they are based on facts ascertained by 
those interested in the scientific work of the Commission and because they explain 
adequately the cause of the mortality, ascribing it to climatic changes.*' 
In 1883 the Fish Hawh made but one excursion to the Gulf Stream, and even 
then did not reach the edge of the “warm belt,” the deepest water in which the 
dredge was cast being only 02 fathoms. Tlie Albatross worked on the ground, how- 
ever, and cast the dredge at least 20 times over the area known to have been occupied 
previously by the tileflsh. Since 1883, up to the present time (January, 1899), the 
Fish Hawh has not again attempted to exi)]ore this portion of the sea bottom. 
In 1881 the Albatross made a most careful survey of the “tileflsh grounds” and the 
tracts of deeper and shallower water bounding the same. The dredge was lowered 76 
times, and although material of great scientific inferest was secured, no trace of the 
tileflsh was found. 
In 1885 the examination of the sea bottom in this locality was continued, and the 
dredge was lowered from the Albatross 38 times. 
In 1880 the Albatross lowered the dredge 11 times, but no tileflsh were found. 
It is worthy of note that the first cruise made by the Fish Commission schooner 
Grampus was to the tileflsh grounds. The vessel left Newport on August 14, 1886, 
and set trawls in 90 fathoms (latitude 39° 59' N., longitude 70° 15' W.), and although 
trawls and hand lines were repeatedly used until August 21 the ground was so 
barren that only a few hake were taken. The stomachs of these fish showed a scarcity 
of food suitable for the Lopholatilns, and Captain Collins concluded that — 
It is safe to say that the large miiiiber of sets made with the trawl Hue on this occasion, together 
with the trials made with hand lines, clearly demonstrate the fact that if the tileflsh has not become 
absolutely extinct in this region it is certainly so rare that the chances of obtaining it aie limited. 
In 1887 the Albatross made three unsuccessful efforts to And the tileflsh, and in 
November left the Atlantic waters and sailed to the Pacific, where she has remained. 
In 1888 no attempt was made to visit the tileflsh ground. 
In 1889 Prof. William Libbey, jr., began a series of temperature and specific 
gravity observations off the shoi-e of southern New England, which extended directly 
over this interesting tract. These observations were made for the purpose of “estab- 
lishing some connection between the changes in temperature in the waters and the 
migrations of the fish which inhabit them.” The Grampus was placed at the disposal 
of Professor Libbey, and an account of his work for the summer of 1889 will be found 
* Professor Libbey, in a paper read before Ibe Geographical Congress in 1895, claims that the 
effect of any single storm is largely suj)erficial, and that it tabes the resultant of several years of 
storms permanently in one direction or the other to luoduce such effects in deep water. Professor 
Libbey ascribes the disappearance of the lish to conditions just the reverse of those mentioned by Pro- 
fessor Verrill, namely, the cold body of water on the continental platform was allowed to advance 
over the area upon the edge of the contiueutal ])lateau by a retrogression of the Avarm Avaters of the 
Gulf Btreain produced by the exact opposite of the conditions Avhich caused its adAUince toAvard the 
same edge. 
