FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS OF THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 
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61 and 32 fathoms, respectively. An abundance of fishes, including several species 
of flounders and of rockfish, 2 black cod, and a quantity of crabs and shrimps, were 
secured at the former, and many flounders at the latter. Nine red rockfish and 2 
whiting were captured with hand lines in the last position. 
Two and two-thirds miles off the Siuslaw River, in a depth of 18 fathoms, fine 
gray sand, 52 black rockfish ( Sebastodes melanops) were taken with hand lines, on the 
latter date, in a trial lasting one hour. In 24 fathoms, yellow sand bottom, about 1£ 
miles farther north, the catch consisted of 5 black-cod and 8 orange rockfish. This 
locality is very favorable for hand-line fishing, large captures being possible in com- 
paratively shallow water and in close proximity to the shore. 
Beam trawl station 3082, on September 2, was located 4 miles from land, directly 
off the mouth of Ten Mile Creek which drains Tsiltcoos Lake, in latitude 43° 52' N., 
43 fathoms, fine gray sand. Several flounders were taken in the net, but nothing was 
caught on hand lines used in the same connection. 
Several trials were made with hand lines, on September 10, between the latitude 
of Siuslaw River and that of Umpqua River, with the following results : In 13 fathoms, 
just to the north of Ten Mile Creek, nothing; in 36 fathoms, about 24 miles off Tak- 
henitch Creek, 1 red rockfish ; in 13 fathoms, immediately south of the mouth of this 
creek, nothing; in 28 fathoms, about 2£ miles northwesterly from the mouth of Umpqua 
River, 27 red rockfish ; about 2£ miles directly west of the mouth of the same river, 1 
red rockfish. The duration of these trials was from 8 to 30 minutes each. 
Heceta Bank . — Off Cascade Head, a short distance north of the parallel of 45° 
N. latitude, the 100-fathom curve is distant only about 13 miles from shore, but south- 
ward from this point the platform broadens regularly, attaining a width of 35 miles 
in latitude 44° N. A few miles farther south, however, it is abruptly constricted to a 
width of 18 or 19 miles. The • southwestern part of this elongated triangular area is 
occupied by Heceta Bank, the only important distinctive offshore fishing-ground on 
the coast of Oregon. Its southern and western borders are defined by the abrupt 
sloping margins of the platform, but on the northern and eastern sides the bank is 
practically continuous with the general surface of the platform, and in those direc- 
tions its precise limits have not yet been determined. The total area of the bank 
probably does not exceed 300 square miles. The depths range from 41 to 95 or more 
fathoms, and in some places they vary abruptly. Two small areas with depths 
between 41 and 46 fathoms occur on the extreme southwestern part of the bank, but 
as a rule the depths exceed 55 fathoms. A considerable part of the bank has a rocky 
bottom, alternating with patches of clay, pebbles, and gravel, but sand and mud are 
also found in places. Halibut occur on this ground, but they are not known to be 
abundant. 
Heceta Bank was visited by the Albatross on October 19, 1888, June 8, 1889, and 
September 1, 1889, and its contour and principal characteristics have been pretty well 
determined. Ten dredging stations have been occupied in depths of 41 to 68 fath- 
oms, but owing to the very rough character of the bottom the beam trawl was seldom 
used successfully, most reliance being placed upon the dredge and tangles, especially 
the latter, for obtaining specimens of the bottom life. A very rich fauna was dis- 
covered, fully equal to that of Flattery Bank, the large collection of invertebrates 
secured containing a great diversity of forms, among which were gorgonian, hydroid, 
and actinian corals, sponges, comatulse, ophiurans, starfishes, sea-urchins, bryozoans, 
