THE REAPPEARANCE OF THE TILEFISH. 
329 
several were over 20 pounds in weight. Tlie ju-esence of large uuiubers of young fish 
is of considerable biological importance, for it indicates that the fish are breeding, 
and that those now found on the old tilefish ground are not there as a result of 
migration. 
On the following day, September 1, three sets»were made, yielding 78 fish, and as 
the bait was now exhausted, the Grampus headed for Montauk Point for the purpose 
of distributing her fare to tlie soldiers at Camp Wickolf. 
After returning from Camp Wickoff, the Grampus was delayed at Woods Hole 
until the latter part of the month. On September 28 Captain Hahn set sail for the 
edge of the Gulf Stream, with instructions to find, if possible, the eastern limit of 
distribution of the tilefish. On September 29 he set two tubs of trawl in latitude 
40° 01' IsT., longitude 09° 54' W., in 77 fathoms. The trawls were allowed to remain 
out 24 hours, and when hauled 61 tilefish, 1 dogfish, 12 skate, and 3 eels were taken. 
At 10 a. m. on the same day the lines were set some 8 miles to the eastward, and, 
after 3 hours, 59 tilefish, 100 dogfish, and 2 skate were captured. At 3 !>. m. 3 tubs 
of trawl were set about 5 miles farther to the eastward, in 72 fathoms- of water, and 
remained out for 24 hours. While this set was being drawn into the dory unfortu- 
nately the line parted, and presumably half the fish were lost. It Avas dark and the 
outer buoy could not be located. The fragment of line contained 38 tilefish, and 
nearly every hook not occupied by a tilefish had caught a dogfish; indeed, the great 
number and weight of the dogfish accounted for the parting and loss of the line. 
On the morning of September 30 a trawl was set in 70 fathoms, latitude 40° 03' N., 
longitude 09° 10' W. It was out 3 hours, and when drawn into the dory 19 tilefish, 
2 skate, and 4 hake were taken. At this time only 14 tubs of trawl were used, about 
550 hooks. Still farther to the east, at station 12, only 14 tilefish Avere taken, and, at 
the easternmost station, 40° 05' N., 69° 00' W., only 12 tilefish were caught, I 4 tubs 
of trawl line being used. 
It would appear from these figures that Captain Hahn had found the eastern 
boundary of the tilefish ‘-bank,” near the sixty ninth meridian, although even at his 
last trial several large fish were taken. 
This Avas the last excursion for tilefish made in 1898, and it may be safe to 
conclude that, inasmuch as on eA^ery occasion that the trawl Avas set in water of 
appropriate depth the tilefish Avere found, their area of distribution probably extends 
from 09° to 73° west longitude, and along a band of the sea bottom of varying Avidth, 
and from 70 to 80 fathoms in depth, although no tests Avere made in deeper water. 
A tabulated statement of the localities Avhich were examined follows: 
Date. 
Station 
No. 
Depth. 
Lat. N. 
Lo 
ng. 
AV. 
No. of 
tilefish. 
"Weigh 1. 
Trip 1 : 
Aug. 13, 1898.. 
1 
Fms. 
7.7 
40 
11 
00 
48 
00 
8 
Lbs. 
Trip 2: 
Aug. 31, 1898... 
75 
40 
00 
71 
12 
45 
Aug. 31,1898... 
3 
75 
40 
12 
00 
71 
05 
00 
47 
3501 
Aug. 31,1898... 
1 
75 
40 
11 
13 
71 
03 
45 
19 
74 
Sept. 1,1898... 
5 
80 
40 
14 
15 
71 
00 
15 
24 
80? 
Sept. 1,1898... 
G 
40 
15 
30 
70 
55 
45 
39 
825? 
Sept. 1,1898... 
7 
40 
10 
00 
54 
30 
15 
138 
Trip 3 : 
Sept. 29,1898... 
8 
77 
40 
01 
00 
69 
54 
30 
61 
658 
Sept. 29, 1898. . . 
9 
71 
40 
04 
00 
69 
45 
30 
59 
825 
Sept. 29, 1898... 
10 
72 
40 
04 
00 
69 
39 
00 
38 
422 
Sei)t. 30,1898... 
11 
7G 
40 
03 
00 
69 
16 
00 
19 
214 
Sept. 30,1898... 
12 
70 
40 
04 
30 , 
69 
11 
00 
14 
96 
Sept. 30, 1898. . . 
13 
75 
40 
05 
30 : 
69 
06 
00 
12 
120 
Oct. 1,1898... 
14 
CO 
40 
10 
00 1 
69 
50 
00 
