152 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
reported position of Pamplona Rocks in lat. 59° 03' N., long. 142° 40' W., was next 
visited, but only deep water was found within a radius of 20 miles of this locality. 
Character of the bottom on the banks . — Sand was the predominant material com- 
posing the bottom on these several banks, a gray sand being the most common. This 
was combined in many places with pebbles, gravel, or broken shells, which were also 
recorded separately in some localities. Mud rarely occurred upon the banks or any- 
where inside of the 100-fathom line. Rocks were not found upon Davidson Bank, but 
on Sanuak Bank they compose a large part of the bottom, even in the deeper sound- 
ings. Rocky patches are numerous on Shumagin and Albatross banks, but were 
observed only at the extreme western eud of Portlock Bank near Kadiak Island. In 
the region between Sannak Bank and the Shumagin Islands the bottom consists of 
sand, mud, pebbles, gravel, and rocks, but the last-mentioned material occurs only in 
the neighborhood of the islands and Sannak Bank. In the corresponding area between 
the Shumagin Islands and Kadiak Island fine sand was most abundant in depths less 
than 100 fathoms, with the admixture in places of pebbles, gravel, and broken shells, 
and occasional patches of mud and coarse sand. Green and blue mud usually com- 
posed the bottom in depths over 100 fathoms, but sand and rocks were also recorded. 
Off Ilnalaska sand was traced down to a depth of .228 fathoms, with mud at 261 
fathoms. Black sand was found in»342 fathoms just off Davidson Bank, while mud 
occurred in 435 fathoms off Sannak Bank, with rocky patches at depths of 265 and 464 
fathoms. Sand and rocks composed the bottom off Shumagin Bank in 105 to 119 
fathoms. Off Albatross and Portlock banks gray sand was discovered in 298 fathoms 
and black sand in 594 fathoms. Muddy bottom occurs, however, in places close to 
the 100-fathom line, but in the pocket which indents the southwestern end of the 
latter bank, with depths of 102 to 166 fathoms, the bottom consists entirely of sand. 
A rocky spot was found off Albatross Bank in a depth of 485 fathoms. 
Dredging trials . — The beam trawl and naturalists 7 dredge were frequently used 
upon the banks, resulting in the collection of a large amount of natural-history mate- 
rial. As was to be expected, the assemblage of forms strongly recalls the fauna of 
the great fishing-banks of eastern North America, and many of the species from these 
two northern regions are closely related to one another, some also probably being 
identical. The most conspicuous features in the hauls were the fishes, crustaceans, 
mollusks, and echinoderms. Edible fishes, crabs, and shrimps were frequently taken, 
the last mentioned often in great numbers. The dredging operations were entirely 
subordinated to those of sounding, as it was considered most important to determine 
first the outlines and contours of the banks, but the results were ample to prove the 
exceeding richness of the grounds with respect to the lower forms of animal life, upon 
which their value for fishing is mainly dependent. 
Trials for fish. — The trials for fish on these banks and other offshore grounds were 
made entirely with hand lines. Cod and halibut were the principal species taken, 
and are the only ones to which we need refer in this connection. Six to nine lines 
were generally used at each trial, which occupied from fifteen minutes to something 
over an hour each, according to circumstances. Salt clams and salmon were chiefly 
employed as bait, and pollock, sculpins, and cod occasionally. The depth at which 
the fishing was done ranged from 27 to 84 fathoms, and every variety of bottom 
observed upon the banks was tried. 
The trials made by the Albatross, as before explained, do not furnish conclusive 
results with respect to the average size of the fish inhabiting the banks. It is said 
