170 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The vessel returned to the same region on September 3, 1889, and continued the 
investigations to the southwest of Yaquina Head at varying distances from the land. 
In addition to four hauls made with the beam trawl, hand-line fishing was carried on 
in very many places. An exception to the customary smooth, sandy bottom was 
discovered in a small bank or rocky patch lying SSW. J W. (magnetic), 19 miles 
from the head, £.nd almost directly off the entrance to Alseya Bay, from which it is 
distant about 14£ miles. It has been designated as Yaquina Bank. The center of 
the ground, so far as it has been surveyed, is in about latitude 44° 27' 30" IN., longi- 
tude 124° 25' W. It covers an area of about 40 square miles, the least depth discov- 
ered being 42 fathoms, and the bottom being composed of clay and mud, with frequent 
rocky or stony patches. Several specimens of the rock were brought up in the beam 
trawl. They consisted of waterworn bowlders of blue limestone, weighing from 50 to 
200 pounds apiece, and evidently belonged to a drift deposit. Their surfaces were 
honeycombed by boring animals, and they were thickly covered with living organisms, 
including small cup corals, sponges, brachiopods, mollusks, annelids, ophiurans, etc. 
Dredging stations Nos. 3087 and 3088 were on this bank, and trials with hand lines 
were also made, resulting in the capture of orange rockfish and flounders, but the 
prevalence of stormy weather prevented entirely satisfactory results. The various 
species of rockfish will doubtless be found here in great abundance. 
At different positions between the bank and Yaquina Head, the bottom, in depths 
of 28 to 46 fathoms, consisted generally of fine sand, from which many black- cod and 
orange rockfish, and a few specimens of whiting, flounders, etc., were secured. Floun- 
ders and prawns were taken in the beam trawl at stations 3085 and 3086, in depths of 
42 and 46 fathoms, respectively, the former being about 14 the latter about 11 miles 
southwesterly from the head. Thirty-seven specimens of black-cod were obtained 
during a single drift, in a depth of 44 fathoms, about 8 miles SW. £ S. from the 
head. The best fishing-grounds inside of the bank were found at distances of 6 to 8 
miles offshore. 
Cape Perpetua to Umpqua River . — On September 2, 1889, the beam trawl was cast 
in 46 fathoms, fine gray sand, at station 3084 (latitude 44° 12' 31" N., longitude 124° 
19' W.), about 15 miles southwesterly from Cape Perpetua, securing many flounders. 
By means of hand lines, 10 black-cod and 9 whiting were obtained in the same position, 
in the course of 45 minutes. Between this locality and Cape Perpetua, and to the 
northward of the cape as far as latitude 44° 20', the hand lines were frequently 
employed in depths of 12 to 31 fathoms, and generally with goodresults, the catch con- 
sisting of red rockfish, black-cod, whiting, and flounders. One trial of 45 minutes in 
a depth of 31 fathoms yielded 24 whiting, 14 rockfish, and 2 flounders Specimens of 
the whiting were eaten by the mess and they were pronounced to be of as good quality 
as the red rockfish. The region about Cape Perpetua affords good advantages for 
small-boat fishing, the depths being slight and the bottom smooth. About 600 pounds 
of edible fish were obtained by the Albatross on the trials made during this day. 
A single trial with the hand lines in 29 fathoms, off Heceta Head, on August 31, 
1889, was entirely unsuccessful. 
On September 10, 1889, several orange rockfish were taken on the hand lines north- 
westerly from the mouth of the Siuslaw Biver (latitude 44° N.), at distances of 3 and 
11 miles from land, in depths of 30 and 42 fathoms, fine sand bottom. Beam-trawl 
stations 3081 and 3083 were also made off this river on September 1 and 2, in depths of 
