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REPORT OF A SECOND DEEP-SEA
DREDGING EXPEDITION
TO THE GULF OF St. LAWRENCE,
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WITH SOME REMARKS ON THE MARINE FISHERIES OF THE * PRO^^INCE OF QUEBEC.
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REPORT ON A SECOND DEEP-SEA DREDGING EXPEDITION TO THE GULP OF ST. LAWRENCE, WITH SOME REMARKS ON THE MARINE ' FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC.
•;';*'*''^ ' - ByJ.F.WhUeaves,F.G.S.,(i:c, '
To tho Honorable Petek Mitchell, !•: i- Minister of Marine and Fisheries for the ,
Dominion of Canada, «tc., itc,
■ . Sir,— I have che honor to submit the following report of a second deep-sea drodg
ing expedition to the Gulf of St. LaxvrencG, prosecut(3d by me during the summer of 1872, undci the auspices of tho Dopai-tment, and as the repreisentative of tlie Natural Hiatory Society of Monti eal. .
Your obedient servant,
^ J. F. Whiteayes.
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INTKODUCTORY.
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As soon as tlie navigation of the St. Lawrence was fairly open in 1872, preparations were set on foot for the summer's operations. A Casella's thermometer and improved deei>sea water bottles wore ordered from England ; but, unfortunately, I was not able to procure these. Had they been available, it was hoped that much more accurate thermo- metrical observations could have been recorded, and it might have been possible to ascer- tain if the chemical characters of the water varied much at different depths. My next step was to try and induce some skilled zoologist or botanist to accompany me and take a share of the woi-k, or, failing this, a practical taxidermist. Every effort was tried, but no naturalist would volunteer to go. At this juncture, my friend, Mr. A. E. Bulger, of Montreal, kindly said that ho would be willing to cruise with me, and do his best to work under my supervision. This proposal was gladly accepted ; and it is only fair to Mr. Bulger to say that his services were of much value, and that his zeal and industry in tho proper preservation of the specimens collected deserve high praise. The necessary preparations for the expedition having been made, it was arranged that we were to meet Captain Lachance at Gasp6 Basin, on the 18th July. Previous to starting, after a careful study of the Admiralty charts, I had selected three or four distinct subjects for investiga- tion, either or all of which, it was proposed to adopt, should circumstances admit.
The first of tliese was to try and ascertain how far up the River St. Lawrence the marine fauna and flora extend. Principal Dawson has collected an extensive and interesting series of arctic marine invertebrates at Murray Bay, and it was thought desirable to examuie the centre of the i*iver between that place and Quebec. Opportu- nities for doing this were not, however, afforded.
To make the second plan of operations proposed intelligible, it is necessary to offer a few explanatory remarks. From a point situated a little to the north of the Island of Cape Breton, a line of sixty fathoms soundings stretches irregularly, but on the whole in a north-westerlv direction, to Perc6 or Gasp^ Bay. Inside of this line of soundxngg, which includcH Uie whole of the Magdalen group, the watev in usuallj: very shallow. Tfe*
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I*orc6 Csliermen say that in many places on and noav tlio Miscoii Banks, wliere they fish, the water is less tlian ton fathoms deep. Submarine olnvations of the land, to a greater or Joig extent, appear to obtain in the ai'ea circumscribed by such a line as that of which I hafe spoken. These form a kind of irregular submerged plateau, of whicli the Magdalen group and Pi-ince Edward Island form ])art, outside of v/hich the water deepens rapidly, and in many ])laces quite precipitously. Tins being the cas", such a plateau, it is thought, would form a kind of l)arrier to the cold arctic currents \\ iiich sweej) through the Strait of Eolle IhIc, and would tend to deflect tliem in a bold curve up the Iviver St. Lawrence. It seems also not improbable that this line of sixty fathoms sowndings may divide two well-marked assemblages of marine animals in Canada. Outside of it, especially in deep water, the fauna is of a decidedly Arctic and Scandinavian character. The specimens collected by me in 1871 and 1872 shew clearly that a much larger number of species are common to both sides of the Atlantic than American or European naturalists formerly sup})oscd. On the other hand, the seas of New Brunswick, of Prince Edward and Cape Breton Islands contain a more southerly assendjlage, a large proportion of the members of wlii?h ai'o characteristic New England sj)cci(!S. This Acadian fauna, as it has been called, extends at any rate to the soiith sido of the Bay of Chaleurs, and perhaps as far north as Gaspo Bay, In this latter place, although the fauna on the whole is decidedly arctic, one or two stragglers from more southern sliores ai"e rarely met with. My object, therefore, was to try and ascertain, by actual investigation on the spot, if the line of sixty fatV )ms soundings, as given on the charts, forms the line oi demarcation in Canada between the arctic and the Acadian fauna?. It was thought that by dredging alternately on both sides of this line, and carefully comparing the Specimens collected, much light might be thrown on this particular point.
The third object I proposed to myself was to investigate the animal life of the deepest parts of the Gulf generally. It is not known with any degree of certainty where the most important of tlie Canadian edible fishe.s (such as the cod, halibut, mackerel, and herring), go to in winter. Whether they merely I'eti-eat to the deepest parts of the Gulf during the cold months, or migrate further south, remains to be asceitained. It was thought that a tolerably careful examination of the animal life of the greatest depths would at least help to shew if plenty of food for such fishes exists on or in the deep sea mud.
Towing-nets Avere also provided, arranged so as to catch such miiiute animals as float on or a little below the level of the water. Yaluable iiiformation as to the food of the herring and mackerel has recently been placed on record by a Danish naturalist, Mr. Axel Boeck. The following abstract of this observer's general conclusions is partly condensed and ])artly copied from an article in Professor S. P. Baird's "Annual Ptocord of Science and Industry," for 1871. According to j\Ir. Boock, the fcod oi' herrings consists almost entirely of minute inverteljrato animals, and this is divided by tlie novthern fishermen into thi'ee classes — the "red," the " yellov.'," and the "black." These names are derived from the colour of the food wlien living," or else from its ap])earanco in the stomach of the fish." The "red meat" is the most frequent: it consists mainly of minute copepod crus- taceans. TIk^so occur on the shores of Norway and other parts of the coast of Northern Euicpe, at corlaiu poricus of summer in such abundance that the sea is colourel by them. School u]ion soliool of herrings and mackerel feed upon these; nor are such pigmy crustacenns disdained even by whales. Upon this food both herring and mackerel thrive and grow fat. If henings are taken with their stomachs full of "red meat" ?)i cut, und'i<jcs!cd ffatc, it is said that the animal matter in the stomach begins to spoil before it can be rciiciied by the salt, and decompcsition soon sets in. " For this reason, it is requiicd by law to kee]) herrings three days in the nets in Avater, that all the contents of the stomacli may lie completely digested, Avhile the fish is prevented from taking in a fresh siqiply. Sometimes, ho vv ever, the winds drift the hei'ring food into the nets, and furnish to the herrings an opportunity which they eagerly embrace, rendering them again «,blp to the difficulty, jui^t meutioned," ' " Yeiltw meat," which is not so
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abundant as the " rod," is aaid to be nmde up of transparent copepods, together witli the swimming larvrc of tape-worras and other annelids. Herring and mackerel feed largely upon these larval worms, and the yellow tint is thought to be derived mainly from the hairs upon the «kin of these embryos. " This kind of food is considered to interfere less with the proper curing of the herruig, as it is much more quickly digested." " Black meat " is found to be mainly large numbers of the embryonic state of a minute sjiiral shell, of the genus Rissoa, which lives upon sea weed. In their eai'ly stage these molluscs have two wing-like expansions, covered with hairs, attached to the body, which they lose when they reach maturity. The substance of the soft parts of the " blfick meat " is covered with a hard shell, which prevents the digestive fluid of the fish from reaching it, so that only the wing-like processes are consumed, and that part of the body which is inside the shell rapidly decomposes. Herrings that have fed on " black meat " are said to be totally unfit for salting, even when kept in the nets for a much longer time than three days. " The salted fish has an extremely disagreeable smell, even after the stomach, with its contciits, have been removed." During the early spring and in the ©pen sea, herring do not seem to feed very largely on animal, or indeed on any other kind of focil. It is in the summer and autumn, after the spawning season is over, that tliey devour these larval or simi)le forma wf animal life in such quanti- ties. From the above statements, it will be seen that it is jiossible to get much inform- ation of practical value, v/ith regard to the food of the surface-feeding fishes, by the use of the towiiig-net in the first instance, combined with subsequent and careful microscopic study of the specimens thus collected. I was also anxious to try and find out if any Foraminiferte or Polycystina (and, if so, which specie.s) float on the surface of the water in the Gulf. A keen scrutiny was also made to try an .1 detect any Radiolarians or Pteropods.
The weather, during the summer of 1872, was exceptionally wet and stormy at tlio places visite<l ; and not only so, but the facilities afforded on board the Stella Marin for the operations contemplated were not nearly so many as last year. The nature of the business on which the schooner was employed was such as to make the j^rosecution of any definite plan of opeiations impracticable. Captain Lachance and his officers did every thing in their power to help u^; ; but the cruises were too short, and the intervals spent ashore too frequent, to enhble us to do os much as we could have wished. We were absent from Montreal fifty days, from 15th July to 3rd September, 1872. !^ a the first month we had four short cruises, two of which la,sted four days ; the third, one ; and the last, three. No less than fifteen days were spent ashore in the village of Gasp6 Basin. Our fiiud cruise for the summer extended from Gaspc Basin to the Magdalen Islands and back. We were absent eleven days ; but of these wo were stonn-bound at Cape Rosier for two days, and spent one at Perce. Last year (1S71) we got twenty-three successful hauls of the dredge, of which thirteen were in deep water. This summer (1872) the number of successful hauls was only ten, of which five vv-ere in deep water. Jt is only fair to add, however, that, in addition to the ton successful hauls, we had six unsucceas- ful cf.sts still, notwithstanding the difiiculties anddisad vantages we laboured under, a large number of interesting and novel specimens were collected, and many new facts were ascertained with regard to the distribution of the lower animals in the Gulf. If the opjiortunities we had are fairly estimated, the success of thcexjiedition is quite remarkable.
It is proposed to arrange the following portion of this report under three headings, much as on a previous occasion. In the first of these, an abstract from a diary kept on board the Stella Maria will be given. This will be followed by a summary of the zoolog- ical resultB of the expedition ; and the report will conclude with some ob«ervatipn8 Ott the sea fisheries of the Dominion and on other matters of a practical oharacter. s/ • '< n
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Abstract of a diary, kept for the most pmt on hoard the " Stella Mans." ■■ ' • "'
Leaving l\tontrpal on the evening of the 13th July, we arrived at Gasp6 Bftsin on Thursday aftornoon, 18th July. Soon after landing \teleftrno<l tliat the Stella 3/Wm had been ordered to the Island of St. Paul, and was not expected back for some daya. We awaited her arrival for about a week, and then got on board on the evening of 26th July, so as to be ready to sail at daybreak the next monung.
Saturday, 27th July, 1872. — Set sail fioin Gcsjio Bay at G a.m., a drizzling rain falling during the grcator i^vt of the day. Rounded Capo Gaspd about 3 p.m.
Previous to starting, wo were iuformod that the schooner had to be back at Ga.sp6 Basin on Wednesday night, so that we had less than four working days befoi'e us on this cruise. Late in the aftei-noon, the first cast was made, the dredge being thrown over at 6.45 p.m., and hauled u]) at 7.45. Predge A. 1, 75 to 80 fathoms, — stones; Cape Rosier, bearing N.-W. by N., nine mih^s disto-nt ; Cape Gaspe, W.^N., six and a-half miles distant. As it was nearly dark when the contents of the dredge were emptied on the deck, it was not possible to examine the specimens with any care on this day. As soon as the dredge w;us hauled up, the ve.ssel was put about for Gasp6 Bay.
Sunday, 2Sth July. — Anchored outside the Peninsula, in Gaspe Bay, the whole day ; Avent ashore in the afternoon ; weather fine.
Monday, 29tli July. — Set sail at 3 a.m. ; rounded Cape Gasp6 at 9 a.m. Weather fine d'^ring the day, but there wixs very little wind. The morning was spent in the examination and preservation of the specimens collected on Saturday. Among these were a number of sponges, mostlyof lai'ge size, and of many sfjecies, some of which T had net seen before. Among the echinoderms were Asterias Groerdandicus, aiid large Ophioijlypha Sarsil ; a sipunculus, new to me, and a beautiful ampldpod, which Mr. Smith says is Acanthozone cwipiihita, with many other things, in all about tldrty species, were also taken in our first c;ist. Used a to wing-net in the afternoon ; caught a number of minute crustaceans, a;id a small sea-slug {Doris) attached to a piece of Fucus. In the afternoon we tried a second cast. The dredge was thrown over at 8.30 p.m., and hauled upon deck at 5.30. Dredge A, No. 2, 11.0 fatlioms — coiu'se sand and stones ; Cape Rosier, bearing W. by N., seven miles distant; Cape Gaspe S.-W. by S. Two small species of sponge ; ten examples of a heart urchin (Schizaeter /raQtlisJ ; four rare sptcies of Crustacea ( Mumiopgis ti/pica, NympJum girjanteum, IJpimerui coniger, and Anthura hrachiata); also many otlier scarce fonus, including thirteen species of shells and six of echinodeiTns — ^altogether, nearly forty species in tlii-j haul. : . -
Tuesday, 30th July.. — Before breakfast, at 5.30 a.m., the dredge had been tlu'own over iix about 100 fathoms of water, off Griffin's Cove. When hauled in, at about 8 a.m., the bag was found to be quite empty. A couple of deep-sea Astartes (a bivalve shell) and several brittle stars ( Ophiacantha spimdosaj were found adhering to the line. Dense fog and drizzling rain all the forenoon. A towing-net had been lashed astern very early in the morning (al'out 3 a.m.), as an experiment. Several specimens of the three- spiued stickleback ( Gasterostnus aculeatus ? var.) and a quantity of small crustac-mns were taken in it. In the aftfrnoon tiie fog cleared off, and it commenced to rain heavily. Another cast was made at 12.30 p.m., ;uid the dredge was hauled on deck almost empty, at 4.40. Dredge A. 4, between Griffin's Cove and Cape Rosier, 150 fathoms — mud. One sea anemone, two or thr(>e sea-pens, a star fish (Ctenodiscus), cwo worms, and a couple of small bivalves (Astartes), were all that the bagofthe dredge contained. About 5 o'clock, p.m, a heavy galo sprang up : we ran to Mai Bay for shelter, and anchored there at 8 p.m.
Wednesday, 31st July. -^Sailed from Mai Bay at 6, a.m., with a stiff N.-W. breeze blowing. Anchored just outside Gaspe Basin at 10.30 a.m. ; ashore at 12.15 a.m.
Thursday, August 1st.— Ashore all day in Gasp6 Basin.
Friday, 2nd August. — Set sail for Percd, at 2.45 p.m., with very little wind. Comm»nder La«hanc« and Ids first and second officer having nailed for Queb«c ibe
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]>revlou« day, the schooner was left in charge of the third officer. Used a towing-not in Gaap6 Bay, joon after wo nailed. At the entrance of Gaspe Bay, we caught several throa-spined atiel jbacks, and a number of land insects of all orders. Many of the smaller Colcoptera and Ortkoptera wei'e living. They semu to be able to exist for a long time, floating on the surface. A dead cahn in the evening.
Saturday, 3rd August. — Anchored off Percd village, at 7.30 a.m. Went ashore for an hour or two in the morning, and set sail again about 11.15 a.m. Hailing along by tho N.-E. side of Bonaventuro Island in the afternoon, we observed large numbers of ganneta and gulls perched upon inaccessible ledges of rook. lu thick weather, the eric; of these birds upon the Split Rock at Percd and on Bonaventure Island often (it ia said) give timely v/arning to the mariner of the proximity of land. We tried a cast (Dredge A. 5) in fifty-six fathoms — sand ; about one mile and three-quarters to tho S.-E. of Bonaventure Island. Although the dredge ^vas allowed to remain on the bottom for two houi-8 it came up empty ; the wind was so slight, tliat tho scraper must have anchored the schooner. A towing-net was used in the afternoon, with the usual results, viz., a few small fishes and some minute cnislaceans. After the dredge was hauled up, then^ was a dead calm, and the schooner had to be towed back to Perce by ihe crews of her two boats — a process which took thi-ee hours to accomplish. Anchored off Percd at 8 p.m.
Sunday, 4t]i August. — Ashore at Perce all day, where wo were cordially and hospi- tably received by Judge Winter and Sheriff Vibert.
Monday, 5th August.- -Saile<l from Percd at 6.15 a.m., and passed Bonaventure Island about 9.30 a.m. Moniing overcast and showery, Tho dredge was thrown over at 9.46. a.m., and was emptied on deck at 11.50 a.m. Dredge A. 6, sixty fathoms — tough sandy mud ; five miles and a-quartor to the E.S.-E. of Bonaventure Island.
On plunging a common but carefully corrected thermometer into this mud, and shading tho whole (at once) with a tarpaulin, the mercury sank to. 32" Fahr. ! The experiment was repeated, but each time with the same results. I heard aftei'- ATajrds that the Strait of Belle Isle had been unusually full of ice during the summer ; but; this circumstance certainly did not materially affect the temperature in other places examined. About twenty species, exclusive of the worms, came np in this haul. Of these, one of tho crustaceans (Byhlic Gaimardii) and three of the shells were rare forms. In the afternoon, two very successfixl hauls were made, but not in veiy deep water. Dredge A. 7, sixty fathoms — coarse sand and stones; aboui eleven miles f:om Perce, Temperature of the sand — about 1^7'' Fahr, About twenty-seven species this time, seven- teen of which were shells. Tlie most noticeable crustacean was an arctic shrimp (Sabincea septemcarinata), and among the hydroids a fine specimen of Halecium Judecinwni was con- spicuous. Later in the afternoon we got Dredge A. 8, in fifty-six fathoms — stones and coarse sand ; eight miles to the S.-E of Bonaventure Island. The bag came \ip full of interesting novelties. Among them were Boltenias, eleven inches long, many sponges, annelids, hydrozoa, polyzoa, and molhiscs. Besides these there were eight kinds of Crustacea, the most interesting of which were Nectocranyon lar and Tritopis aculeata, and among the echinoderms Astenas Grocnlandicus and Pter aster militaris occurred. Tlio afternoon and evening, as well as most of the following day, were spent in the examination and preservation of the specimens collected. To-day we learned, for the first time during this cruise, that orders had been left behind that the schooner was to return to Gasp^ Basin on Tuesday night.
Tuesday, 6th August. — No di'edging done to-day ; most of tho time was occupied in the preparation of the specimens got on Monday. In tho afternoon we sailed for Gasp6 Basin ; arrived there at 8 p.m., and went ashore.
Wednesday to Friday, August 7th to 9th inclusive. — Ashore in Ga«p6 Basin. Commander Lachance did not return on Thursday, but his first and second oflScer did.
Saturday, 10th August, — Sailed from Gaap6 Basin, at 9 a.m., with a fair breeze. Bounded Cape Gaap6 at 11.45 — the first officer commanding during this cruise. In tha (afternoon, nothing else being feasible; wa tried a cast in comparatively ihallow water
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Jbrotlge A. D, thirty fulhoms — stones and coarse sand ; six inllcs BJ.N.-E. of CajM* daspi. A smooth Sipunciihis, new to me, and an interesting roophyte, with a number of common sp«cie.i, were brought up this time. From about 3 p.m. till 6, it rained and blew hanl, so we returned to Gaapo Bay for shelter. At 6 p.m. the squal I ' ceased,- and was succeeded by iidoiul calm. Wo lay off Grand Gr6ve all night. Noticed that three kinds of brittle stars collected during the day were phosphorescent in th. dark.
Sunday, 11th August. — Anchored outside Gaspd Basin all day. In the morning saw nrany transparent medus» floating in the water ; the fishermen round the coast call these mackerel bait. Being much dissatisfied at the waste of time so fiir, I left a telegram, ashore for Newcastle, asking for instructions. Unfortunately, the reply did not reach me in time to act upon it. v . -. . ;,' j' '■.'.(' ,
Monday, 12th August. — Left Gasp«5 Baiinfor the fourth time, early in the morning Ah w« knew when we started that the schooner must be back on Wednesday, our hopes of success were not high. Our object was to get to deep wator as quickly as possible, and ^then to have as many casts as the time would permit. During the morning it was sunny, i'-with hardly a breath of wind. A towing-net was used, but with no very remarkable results. A slight bx-eezo rising in the afternoon, we got as fav as Little Fox Riv«r by night. Did not attempt to dredge to- day : our object was to get well out into the centre of the river. ,
Tuesday, 13tli August. — On rising, we found that the dredge had been thrown over at a little before 6 a.m. As there was very Uttle wind, it was decided to allow it to v'temain on the bottom for some time before it was hauled in. Accordingly, the bag was emptied on deck about 10 o'clock, a.m. Dredge A. 10, 160 to 170 fathoms — mud and stones ; about fifteen miles from Cape Hosier ; temperature of the mud- -about 36*^ Fahrt. Two or three rare sponges, a few sea-pens (avo or she), two deep sea star fishes, land BVA. rare species of shells. During the night we had made for the south-west point of Anticosti, and had sighted the lighthouse at 3 a.m., and then put the vessel about. In the afternoon we had another cast in deep water, and made by far the most successful haul of the season. Dredge A. 11, 200 fathoms — mud; thirty miles N.-E. of Cape Rosier j down a*^ 1.20 p.m., up at 3. It was found necessary to defer the examination of the last specimens collected till the next day. I had kept some sea-pens (Pennatuls)) alive in salt water till the evening, and on putting them into a perfectly dark place found that they emitted a pale bluish phosphorescent light, when touched. At night we were near Cape Rosier again ; the lighthouse could be well made out.
Wednesday, 14th August. — Soon after breakfast we tried to get another deep-water • haul before n'turning, but were disappointed in the results, as almost nothing was brought up. Dredge A. 12, 108 fathoms: off Cape Rosiex-. Two Pennatula?, one star fteh {Gtenodiacua), a sea anemone, and three shells, one very rare, were all that the dredge brought up. The morning and part of the afternoon were spent in the examina- tion, &c., of the objects collected on the preceding day. Among ihe specimens were a a new simply pinnate sponge, with an internal axis of spicxiles; a true coral; several living Yirgulance (a g^nus then new to America, but since found by Dr. Packard, in 150 fathoms, on St. George's Bank) ; Dentalium occidentale (alive) ; some very rare shells and other interesting things. At noon we rounded Ship Head, bound for Gasp6 Basin, at -v^hich place we landed at 5 p.m. For so short a cruise, our success this time •Waa much more encouraging. j,^
Thursday and Friday, 15th and 16th August. — Spent on shore in the "Basin." Captein Lachance returned on Thursday, and at once resumed command of the vessel.
Saturday, 17th August. — Left Gasp^ Basin at daybreak; weather fair, wind Vftfy light. Dr. Fortin, M.P., &c., and Mr. Tetu came with us part of the way. Rounded Cape Gasp4, at 2 p.m. In the evenug we tried to dredge in the deep water off Cape Rosier, but were altogether unsuccessful. Dredge A. 13, 140 fathoms ; off Cape Rosier; down at 5.30 p.m., up at 7; quite empty. Another cast was immediately made in thft lameplftoe, bntviih an exactly similar result. *"
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Bun^fty, I9ili Anguat.— Aiicljored off Cape Ro«ier all dnj. fn the ftfternoon w« went ashore, and were very kindly and hospitably treated by Mr. Trudeau, at the light* house. In the erening wo attempted to fjot back to the ship, but the surf was so heary that we gave it up, and, thanks to Mr. Trudeau, were able to stay ashore all night. A £ue and hot day with a very heavy sea on.
Monday, 19th August. — Dense fog and hravy i-ain nil day, the gun at the lighthouse filing at regular intervals. Stayed with Mr. Trudeau all day, anil got back to the ship at 10 p.m. At 11 p.m., as it had cleared a little, we set sail for Perc6, with alight breeze. During our absence, the steward of the Stella Maria, at my suggestior., had tried the effect of drav/ing a fishing line with a l>nndlo of hooka and a sinker Attached to the snd, repeatedly along the rocky bottom, near the ship's anchorage, in about seven fathoms of water. Although several hcoks and lines wera thus lost, quite a number of speiimens were in this way obtained. Among these were several large purple sea cucumbers (Pentacta Jrimdoaa), nearly a foot long, K sesrlet Ilolothurian ( Lophothnria Fabricii), a ruddy sea peach \Cynthia), and a living green sponge, new to me. Ucsides these more striking specimens, the hodcs brought up a quantity of small sea weeds, amongst which were multitudes of scarlet oaprellre (which have bf*en called the monkeys of the crustacean world), jHtrasitio sponges and isoophytes, abcut six kinds of shells, &c. kc,
Tuesday, 20th Augiist. — Arrived at Perce at 3 am. Dr. Forlin and Mr. Tetu lefb tis here. Instructions having been receivotl to look after an American schooner (the B. A. Baker J, on the Orphan Bank, we left Perce at noon, bound for the former place. On our way, we got a cast on a rough and heavy bottom, which cut the doubly-knotted bags and protecting cowhide of the dredge almost topieces Dredge A., 14,50 fathoms — stony and rocky bottom ; Bonaventure Island bearing N.N.-W., fifteen miles distant; Point St. Pexer N. j^W., twenty-two miles distant. Many interesting things in this haul ; among them a couple of Boltenias, nearly two feet long, a dozen or more living Pectens (Island- icus)' — more than twenty species in all, not counting the woiins, zoophytes, or crustacean It was nearly dark when the contents of the bag were emptied out, so that the looking after the specib^ens had to be defen-ed till next morning. Weather fair, with a fina breeze all diay.
Wednesday, 21st August. — Alongside the B. A. Baker, on the Orphan Bank, at 6 ft.ni. Having transacted the business we had with her, in pursuanci^ of orders received^ we sailed for Perc6, and arrived there at 11 a.m. Ashore in the afternoon and evening.
Thursday, 22nd August. — Left Percd at 9 a. m., bound for *be Magdalen Islands. A dense fog prevailed in the moming which cleared away in the afternoon, and there wm a heavy sea on, rrith a stiff S. W. gale all the' day and night.
Friday, 23rd August. — At 2 a.m., sighted Amherst Island, four Ihiles distant. Wind light, W.N.-W. ; rain and fog in the morning. At 11 a.m., Deadman's, Qrind« stone, and Amherst Islands visible ; many terns in sight. About noon we tried a cast, but not with much success, as the yam fastening the two arms of the dredge got cut by rocks, so that the bag came up nearly empty. Dredge A. 15, twenty fathoms — ^rocky bottom — between Grindstone and Amherst Islands. We looked eagerly to see if thertt were any southern forms among the things brought up, but the results were purely negative. All of the tweriCy species observed are particularly common forms, whidk range from Greenland to Cape Cod. At 4.30 p.m., we saw the lighthouse on Amhent Island. Entry Island was visible at 6 p.m. Anchored off La Demoiselle Hill, on Amhent Island, at 7.10.
Saturday, 24th August, — Anchored in Pleasant Bay, off Amherst Harbour, at 6.45 a.m. Went fiahore after bi-eakfuat, and took a walk with Mr. J. J. Fox, who shewed ua much polite attention. The part of the island where we were is low and sandy, and iji some places marshy. .3Ia*iy characteristic swamp plants were noticed, such a* SnTracenid^ I.'ulum, KahniOf Jiriophorum, JJrosera, Spiranthen, and (in the shade) Monotropa un0ora. The most interesting species (to me) was the '^candleberry myrtle" f Mi/rtca ceryeraL the >>eiri€s of which were fernierly boU«d down by the inhnbitant* tO mitk« ea(ndle*|tti |
3
10
WM told by Mr. Fox. Tho trees were mostly stunted spruce, hemlock, Canada balsam, elder, and low junipers. On the west point of Amherst Harbour are sub-aericl sand dunes, which have choked up and killed the few stunted trees which once grew there. We coUectfOd what looked like a promising gathering of fUatoms from i lagoon, Uie water of which was brackish to the taste, but in which fresh-water snails (LimtuKa eiodet) wer^^ living. Unfortunately, tlie tide was high, yet we managed to collect six species of shells on the b'^ach. These are Pecten iemiicostatus, Galliata convexa, Maotra aolidissima, Maxihcera, cortakif Zirphcea crispata, and Lunatia heroa. Of these, Galliaia eonvexa is a decidedly southern fo--m, and so, in my judgment, is Mactra aolidiasima, although Dr. Packard states that he found this latter i-arely in or near the Strait of Belle Isle. We noticed a little magnetic iron in the sand on the shore, and Mr, Fox t<»ld us that gypsum and the black oxide o*' manganese are also found on the island. We were also informed by the tame gentleman that ship-worms are often very prevalent in Amherst Harbour. When we had finished our stroll, we went to Mr. Fox's house, and on the way we F-et Judge Winter, also Captain Brown, commander of *he Peter Mitchell, who invited us to cruiso with hin . This last polite offer we were compelled to decline, as it was necessary that we should return to Montreal early in September. After examining tho blasting operations for the removal of obstructions to the entrance of the harbour, wo endeavoured to do a little shallow-water dredging in one of the ship's boats, but with very little success. We got three hauls in about seven fathoms water. The first brough^i «p a lot of sea-weed only"; the second a small crab (Cancer irroratuaj, and fov.r common species of shells (Tellina tencra, Niissa trivittai^x, Lacuna vincta, and Margarita helicina J ; and the thii-d and last, nothing at all, A-shoi-e again in the evening.
Sunday, 25th August. — Left Pleasant Bay at 6. i5 a.m,, with afresh northei'ly breeze blowing and a heavy sea on. Anchored between Grindstone and Allright Islands at 10.30 .i.m. Spent a few hours in the evening on Grindstone Island.
Monday, 26th August — -Set sail at 4 a.m. The whole day w-ja hot, with little or no wind. By seven in the evening we had made only twenty miles. Cflr>e Breton was visible in the distance about 4 p.m. The greate?; ^^art of the afternoon was employe.! iu using Jhe to wing-net on the surface, withniort)suc<!essthan usual. Jelly fishes, of many species and of all sizes, were taken in abundana^ I^'loating sea- weed also gave quite a rich harvest, for, besides the polyzoa and hydro-..ja parasitic on them, we got many adult Amphijpcds and shells, as well as crabs in an ear"y stage of development, and three kinds of fishes. Besides the common sticklebuck, we collected numerous speoimens of the lump-sucker (Cyclopterua lumpua), about half an inch long, adhering to the flat frpndb of Fucus by the sucking disk formed by a imion of the ventral fins, and a few small Blennies. We observed that large fishes (comparatively) follow these masses of drifting sea- weed, amorufst which they find plenty of food. In the evening, we tried ex;>eriment8 on some ot the living medusae caught during the day, and found them to emit a palish phosphorescence in the dark when touched. The light on the new lighthouse at the Bird Bock was plainly visible at 9 p.m. ■
Tuesday, 27th August. — At 9 a.m , the dreJge was thrown over in a place which I had long wished to explore carefully. Circumstances, however, were again unfavourable. The sea was so high and the breeze so fresh, that the dredge had to he hauled up befora it had been down two hours. Hnd the sea been quite smooth and the wind light, I should have preferred to let it scrape for at least four. Dj-edge A.'No. 16, and last, 318" fathoms — Hack mitfl, with angular and rounded stones ; between the east end of Anti> cost) and the Bird Rocks. Rather more than a bucketful of m\id and sevei-al large stones came lip in this haul. The specimens visible to the naked eye wei-e a few Trilocuiinaif nearly a quarter of an inch wide, two or three worms, one shrimp, fmd 9.n. Aniphipod ; ono brittle star (AmphiuraJ a small example of the same coral as the one previously collected, and nine species of sbells. These last are just the sama as had been collect^ before in from 100 to 200 fathoms. A portion of this mud has been examined micros* copically, witn the following results: — Concave discs of a large Coadnodiicut we frequent ; foraminifwa veiy^abundant and^ interesting ; jiolycysjkina starce, and|none new
f
X ' ■ J
li
lo me; a few $ix-nii/iil sjvin^o sMictil*-^ liidicatJng the oxi&teuce of tlie HexactruelUUse in our waterg; and two or tlii-tie ishells of a pteropod, J/eteyofusua balca. From such a hurried attempt at an examinRtion of the deepest spot in the (iulf, with such unpropittouR weather, not much was to be expected ; nor is to be wondered at that the results weie so oomparativclj barron. To got a fair idea of the animal life existing at this depth, it would be necessary to stay on the ground for at least a week, supposing the weather to be favourable all the time. In the afternoon the bi-eoze increased, and th"? sea was very heavy. After tlie di-edge was hauled in, we at o.ice made for Gasp6 Basin, and at eight o'clock in the evening the day's run wav. tifty-aix miles. About 8.30 p.m. it began to rain, and rained heavily all night.
Wednesday, 28th August. — Still making for Caspd Basin. The wind had changed from S.-W. to N.-E. During the greater part of the day there v/as a stiff breeze blowing, with a heavy sea on ; but towards sunset the weather changed. Inside Cape Gasp^ about 7 p.m but as the wind was dead ahead after we had rounded Point Peter, little progress was made for some hours. "^
Thursday, 29th August — Ashoro :n Gaspe Basin all day, waiting for the up steam- ship. In the afternoon a telegram was received (and next morning a letter) from Captain Brown, R.N., commander of the Goveuiment schooner, /'".ter Mitchell, pressing us to cruise with him for another fortnight. Ifc 'va.s necessary, however, that we should both be back in Montreal early in September, if possible on the Ist. Added to this, all the bags of* the dredges had b«en cut to pieces, and our stock of ilcohuland bottles was exhausted. As we could not make up these doficiences in Gaspc, or get fresh supplies, further cruising would have been uselessj even if M'e could have spared the time. We were accordingly, with great reluctance, compelled to decline Captain Browne's polite and kindly invitation.
Friday, 30th August. — The "teamship Miramichi being late, we did not leave Gasp6 Basin until an early hour in the .norning. Ai'rived in Quebec on Sunt'ay forenoon, so that we were unable to get homo before Tuesday, 3i-d September.
From the above condensed narrative of our proceedings since we left Montreal, it iiiay be readily seen that iwiy thing like systematic dredging was impracticable. Wherever a cast was possible, w^ availed ourselfof tl •• opportunity, thinking it was better to try an unproioising locality than to do nothing at all. When no dredging could be done, and the weather permitted, tovingnets were almost invariably usee'. Circumstance's were so much against us the whole time, that it was only the utmost pei-severance and a determi- nation to leave no effort untried that prevented the expedition from bacoming a total failure. Owing to the want of room on her deck, the Stella Maris is not nearly so well vuited for dredging operations as La Canadienne or the Peter Alitchdl ; and, in addition to this, she was unusually short-handed while we were on board. , . '.,, ,:..,>";,!:/.:'
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«•#;.;;! ■i#|;i?»v ■??*■•
JMti'
' Part IT,
<'J
ProvUional Summary q/ the Zoological reattlta oj the Exptdiiion
In order to be able to name the various specimens collected with any degree ct certainty, it is necessary to have access to collections and books which are not to be met with in Montreal or in any other city of the Dominion, i v'scriptioi^ of not a few of the Canadian marine invertebrates are to be found only in Norwegian, Swedish,or German scien- tific journals, some of which I have bsen unable to see. What would have been still mc.'^ useful, viz. a correctly-name<l series of the various marine animals which inhabit the coasts of Norway and Sweden, none of the Canadian museums possess. Under these circumstances, when all the means at my disposal for the identification of certain species were exhausted, there was no alternative but to send specimens of each to some naturalist who had access to larger libraries and completer collections. To Professor A. %, Verrill and Mr. 8. 1. Smith (both of YahCoJege, Newhaven, Conn.) I am indebted lor much valiuible ajssi«(auce iu the preparation of this po»tion of my report. The former gentlemaD
12
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luM kindly examined and ideotified a nuiubei\of critical species sent to hira, espeoiaUy among the Actinozoa and Tuuicates, while the lattei* Ima detennined for me aliooai ilie wlu^e of the cruitaoeans collected. Mout of the max-ine vrorms dredged in 1871 a.ni 1872 hare been sent to Dr. W. C Mclntoah, F.L.S. (of Murthly, near Poi-th, Sootlnnd), who has given s^iecial attention to this difficult group, and has kindiy promiHcd to name those forwarded- To each of these gentlemen my thanks are due for the trouble they have taken and the willingness tney have sliewn to help m<^ in this matter. The strain upon the eyes, caused by an almost constant use of a triplet lens for several weeks, has prevented me doing as much microscopic work as would otherwise have been desirable, to make this report more complete.
Foraminifera.
';-!\ '<>,
Although large numbers of these interesting objects woi-e collected, especially from the 313 fathoms' locality, not many novel forms have aa yet been observed among thein. The following are the most interesting of the species, or varieties, not enumerated in Mr. G. M. Dawson's paper on the St. Lawrence Fcitiminifara : — Marrfinulina aptnoaa^ M. Bars/ Criatdlaria ci'epidula, Boltvina punctata, Nonwnina umbUicatula, Trocham- minn incerta, Valvulina Austriaea, Trihcnlina trigonula. Yery'hvr, if any, truly abyssal forms (such as Glohigerina injlata and Pulvinulina Michdiniana and elegans) have as yet bodix taken in the St. lAwrence. According to Sars, however, some of these are found in SOO fathoms, off the coast of Korway.
Pohjoyatiiia.
• Only a few specimens of this gi'oup o'' animals were collected, and these are exactly the same species as those dredged last year. .,
Spovge?,
Quite a large number of species of sponges were procured, and from all depth.s. Among these ai-e a simply pinnate sponge witli an internal axis of siliciouH spicules, possibly belonging probably to the genus Cfiondrocladm. Another, of which only fragments were obtained, has true six-rayed spicules, and belongs to the division Hexao- tanellidce of Dr. Oscar Schmidt. About fifx«en cr twenty apeeiea were collected, soiiie of them of considerable size. All the families of sponges have now been found in the (Julf, except that which includes those which are of the most commercial value, and which are ^«ogeth( / devoid of spicules. The deep-water species collected are of special intereist,
.Uydrozoa.
A portion of the Hydrozoa collected in 1871 and 1872 have been microscopically examined, and the following species have been recognized so far : —
{Athecata.)
Corym pvtilla — Gaertner. TuMaria indivifg, — Linn.
, lary xi — Ellis and Sol.
Tliecaphora.)
OUHo'-Twc Sp. Campauularia volubUi$ — Lin n.
„ verticilkita — Linn.
*£il^f^ »/heJ>eoM~>Sars., var. Saiackt (QrammMia) a&Mfmci-^avM»
ffakcium hmecinum, — Linn. „ robustum — Venill. „ muricatum — Ellis and Sol. SeHularella polyzonias — Linn.
„ nigosa — Linn.
Sertularia abietina — Linn.
fdicula — Ellis and Sol. argentea—FjWm and Sol. „ t'lipresaina — Linn.
TImiaria thuja — Linn.
„ articulata — Pallas.
Aghwfhoema mf/riophyUitm (fJ-^lAax^
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Aetinozoa,
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Besides th« two common sea anemones {Metru'ium marffinatuni and Urtietna cratsicomis), Professor Yerrill recognizes two species new to the St. Lawrence among the sptrcimens collected last summer. One is Urticina digitata (MuUei*), and the oA&e an ./I c^tno^V, apparently distinct from il.jf a va of Koren and Danielssen.
The Alcyoniums of the Qulf require a careful study. There are apparmtlj thrae ipecies among those obtained in 1872, one of which is A. rubiforme, Ehr.
By far the most interesting a*nong the specimens collected are two oxamples of <• true coral. These were taken in *wo localities, about' 150 miles apai't — one in 200, the other in 313 fathoms. Although a^veral species of coral are known from Norwegian seas, no members of this group have hitherto been recorded from any locality on the American side of the Atlantic, north of the State of Massachusetts ; and not only so, but the St. Lawrence coral (if it be in indigenous species) belongs to a division of this order, of which not a solitary example has been taken so far north on the Atlantic coast of America even as New York Bay. The tw:) specimens obtained, though more or less perfect, were dead, and in a very friable and brittle condition. They are cup corals, which, when living, were tenanted each by a single poiypite. Although they obviously belong to the family Turbinolidse, the books at my disposal were insufficient even to name the gemis to which they should be referred. They are so unlike any arctic or boieal corals of which I have seen eithe<* specimens or figures, and Lave such a tropical or sub-tropical aspect, that at the time they were dredged I thought they might be specimens brought by ships in ballast. Professor Verrill (to whom I sent one of these corals) Avrites me that it is an undescribed species of Flabellum, and adds that he thinks that the specimens are fossil. The lattisr hypothesis I think very improbable, as there are no older tertiary or creta- ceous deposits in Canada from which such fo.<3sils could have been washed out. In 200 fathoms, off Cape Rosier, about fifteen living examples of a Virgularia ("Sea Bush") were collected. Tlie genus was tiien new to America, but other examples have been since taken by Dr. Packard on the St. George'fs Bank. At first, Professor Venill and myself thought the St. Lawrence Virgularia a dwarf and depaupemted variety of the £uro])eaii V. mirabilis ; but the former now refers it to Kolliker's V. Lyvngmanni, a species previou«»ly known only from the Azoi-es. The same gentleman cOnsidei's the Canadian Pennatula to be a well-marked variety of the Pennatula acuhaUi of Dunielssen. Tliis latter he regards as specifically distinct from P. Phosphorea, but Kollike?; is of a different opinion ; so that, after all, the at. Lawrence Sea Pen may be one of the many varieties of the common European species. My specimens pi-esent such vai'iable characters that the latter view seems by no means improbable. By far the larger number of examples obtained in 1872 were cut in two by the scraper of the dredge, so that Only the upper halves of the coenosarc were found in the bag. This strengthens the idea that these sea pens Uv« with the naked portion of the stem buried in the deep sea mud.
^^P^'k
Echinodermata, ■ ■**{
Nine specimens of Schizaater fragUi$ were taken in deep water. Aateriaa Glroenlknd- iaua Steenstrup occuri-ed in several localities, and pK^ratter vulitaris in two. An undeter- mined s]>eoies of Eitpyrgus (new to science, ^c?e Verrill,) was di-edged ii} fifty-six fath(Hira, off Bonaventuve Island. The sea cucumbers (Holotliurians), collected in shallow water off Cape Rosier, are the largest I liave seen from the seas of the Dominion. The following is as complete a list as is at present possible of the echinodermata of the Gulf of St. Law- rence, north of the Bay of Chaleurs. Those to which an asterisk is affixed were found "by Dr. Packard, and not by myself : —
*A$tropIii/ion eucnemis. — Mull and Trosch.
„ Agassizii — Stimps.
OphMoaiUha ajdmUoaa — Mull and TrcMch.
Oj)hiophoUs aculeaia. — Mull.
Amphiura (neai* to Boreali«, Sai-s, Jidt
Venall).-.^j.^,^j,^:,.;^j,,^y4g^^^.j^^^ *9*:V
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OphioylypJM Sar$U. — Lutkea.
>, robusla. — Ayres.
„ nodo$a.^^Latken.
Ctenodisciis eriapatua. — Retzitis. Pteraaler m«/i<art«.— -Muller, Soleuter mvieea. — Linn (Pr. Dawson). Croticuier pappoaa.— Linn, CfUvtria hj/atriz. — W. Thompson. Cribella aanyuinolenia. — Mull. AatarioM GroemUmdicua. — Steenstrup.
„ vulgaria. — SUmpa. (1 A. rubena.- M. andT.)
Aateinaa polar ii. — Mull anil Trosch. Echinus Drobackienaia. — Mull. Schizaater fragilia. — Duben and Koi-en Echinarachniua parma. — Gi-ay. Pentaeta frondoaa. — Gunner.
* „ calcigera. — Stimps. Paclva p/utntapua. — Mull. LophothttrUf Fabrieii. — Lutken. *Eupyrgua aeaber. — Lutken.
„ nov. ap. — Fide Vemll. • !ht '
* Myriotroehua Rinkii. — Steenstrup. .^^ *Chvrodota laeve. — Qrube> if^ft '^jr'tA
• ' ■- : A- ■"
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AnneUda,
Dr. W. C. Mcintosh writes to me as follows, respecting the coUecticn of marine worms made in 1871 : — " In No. 15, off Gape Rosier lighthouse;, in 125 fathoms, are the followin/9; : —
Trophonia plumoaa. — Mull. SabelUi iMvonia. — Savigny. Amphipoi'ua (Xemertean) — fragment
' Eunoa nodoaa.- — Sars. Epheaia gracllia. — Rathke. Nothria conchylega. — Sars. Ammot)ypane aulogaater. — Rathke.
" A battle, mai-ked ' various localities to the south, noi-th, and east of Anticosti,' in from 100 to 112 fathoms contains : — 1
Goniada nviculata. — QSrsteil. Thelepua circinatna. — Fabr.
Ammotrypane aulo'jaater. Praxilla gracilis. — Sars.
Ampfnctene auricoma. — Muller (tube). 2'rophonia phtmoaa. '.'
Tereb«Uid<a Strvemii. — Sars.. Linma (NemerteanJ ; small. ^/>^b?
" In No. T-a^e three species agi'eeing with the foi-egoing. In No. 14, 200 fathoms," south of Anolcosti, Lumbrinereia fragilia, MuUer, occurred. Idl addition, there is a specimen of a small Balaivogloasxia, while a Lepidoiwtua, Nepihya, Maldane, Praxilla, and Kotlifia need determination. It is interesting to find many ot oar old (Shetland) friends on your side of the Atlantic. All the specimens named are comparatively comuiot;, but they are none the less valuable on this account, since they give us information about the distribution of the Annelida, a subject requiring much light." Another letter, received afbor the 1872 collection had come to hand, contains some general comments on the specimens, as follows : — " I find your collection of this year very much more valuable than that of the previous one. The species are more numerous, the specimens in bettor condition, and the rarities more abundant. This is all I can tell you at present, as I have done nothing further than group the animals according to their .<3;enera. I shaU write you when I have had time to finish them." Two s{)ecies belonging to a group of worms (Sipunculids), formerly i-egarded as aberrant members of the sea cucumber family, wera collected in three localities. One of these is Pltaacoloaoma boreolia. Kef. (taken also from St Ueorge's Lank, in 110 fathoms), and the other "is probably P. (Eratedtii, Kef., bnt may b© new." — (Verrill.)
Cruatacea.
The crustaceans collected this year are very numerous, both in genera and species, and many of them are of considerable interest. A number of difficult and critical species hare bee^ determined for me by Mr. S. J. Smith. *» To prevent repetition, an asterisk is prefixed to each of these. The microscopic forms, Copepods and Entomostraca, have not y«t been «xMnined. The following Is a list of those which have been identified, so far >—
s* i-
of marine s, are the
Dt --n
\jitico«ti,'
:>{.«» - ■« ; /i ; K •_
fatlioms,
tiere is a
mllfi, and
d) friends
iiuou, but
about the
received
» on the
Lttble than
in bet^r
as I hare
write you
of ■worms
ttily, -were
also from
Kef., but
.> : ..'."'<_ ■, ■ ■.-*■■■•■
Cancer irrorattia, Sara (r=iJ. Sayii, Gould ; not C. Borealie: VerriU). — The common crab of the Gulf. '
Hyas coarctata. Leach. — Common. A favourite morsel with cod. Hycta aranea, Linn. — Rare. ' Chionoccetea opilio, Fabr. — Frequent. r ; v.i
*Lup<igurua Kroyeri, Stimps. — Common in"dead shells.
*ScAincea aeptemcarinata, Owen. (Sabim sp.) — Two localities. "Also from St. George's Bank."— (Smith.)
^Nectocrangon lar, Brandt. (Owen, Sp.) — "Not known south of the Gulf. "--(Smith.) ^ ^HippdyU apina, White. — From A. 8 aild A. 14. maciUnta, Kroyer. — Four examples. Gaimardii, Kroyer. — (" Also in the Bay of Fundy, sparingly." Smith.) ,
I '^yffippolyte Phippaii, Kroyer • Fabrieii
oaii, Kroyer \ ieii, „ > •is, » I
Taken in 1871, but not iu 1872. * „ polaria,
Pandalua annulicomia, Leach. — Common in many places.
(Amphipoda.J
The ami gement adopted in this group is that given in Axel Boeck's Crustacea amphipoda borealia et artica, published in the Forhandlingar i Videnskabs-Selskabet i Christiania for 1870-
•^Ilyperia, sp. (youn,g — Towing-net.
^Stegocephalaa ampulla, Bell. (Phip])s, sp.) — A. 8. *' We had one ftrom St. George's Bank." (Smith)
^PJioxua Kroyer i, Stimpson (not of Bate). — Only one example. . i '^Eusirua cuapidatua, Kroyei*. — " Not known south of Greenland before." — (Smith.)
^ Tntopia aculeatua, Boeck. (Lepechin sp.) — In fifty-six fathoms, off Bonaventure Island — a local but apparently - gregarious species. "We had it from the Banks this summer sparingly." (Smith.)
*Acaiithozo7i6 cuapidata, Boeck. (Lepechin sp.) — One example, from seventy-fire to eighty fathoms, off Cape Bosiei' — rare. " Not uncommon in the Bay of Fundy." Smith. , j *IIplmeria, comigera 1 Boeck. (Fabricius, sp.) — Frequent, and of large sire.
^Calliopitia Icemuacultia, Boeck. — ^Towing-net.
^Melita dentata, Boeck. (Kroye?, sp.) — One specimen. " Common in the Bay of Fundy." (Smith.)
*Byblia Gaimardii, Boeck. (Kroyer, sp.) — Five individuals of this species iren taken in sixty fathoms, sand, off Bonaventure Island. " Common in the Bey of Fundy." (Smith.) . ts uf^in
Caprella aeptentrionalia, Kroyer. — Abundant among sea weed, oh a stcrhf bott<te, in seven fathoms, off Cape Rosier. '
• (laopcda.)
Munnepna typica, — M. Sars. A deep-water species, found both in 1871 and 1873. *Anthura braohiata. — Stimps. Rare. Two spetimens were taken on a stony bottom, in 110 fathoms, off Cape Rosier.
d species, lal species isterisk is have not so far •<—
(Pyenogomda.)
Nymphon giganUum, — Goodsir. In deep water, scai'ce. One example wm token in 1871 and another in 1872.
Pyenogonum littorah. — Strom, {P. pe^teum. —Stimpson.) In 212 fath<MM, between the east point of Anticosti and the Bird Rocks.
With the exception of the common lobster (which, from liB active habits, is rarely taken in the dredge,) none of the St. Lawrence crustaceans are of mueh vidue as an article of human food. They form, however, a by no means inconsiderable element in that ,, of fishes, and their uses as scavengers of the deep have long been known.
I'f
Polyaoa,
In the classification of the specimens belonging to this order, I have followed Bev A. M. Norman (Catalogue of the Shetland Polyzoa), in adopting Mr. Busk's latest views. Smiitt's valuable papers on the Scandinavian species have been, however, frequently consulted, and the beautiful plates accompanying them have been found particularly useful in tlie identification of critical forms. Opinions vary much both as to the generic and njiecific relations of these molluscoid polyps, and the St. Lawrence spe<?ies have yet to be properly elucidated. The following list of the species collected is very incomplet<$, not more than oue-foutth of the specimens having been i».zamined microscopically : —
(Cheiloatomata.)
Serupoceltaria ocruposa, Linn.
MwtiiptafCdhUaria) ternata, Ellis and Solander.
Caberea Elli$ii, Fleming. — Fine and frequent. »
BiceUaria c'diata, Linn. — Deep water — very rare.
Bugtda Murrayana, Bean. — Very common.
Fltutra BarlwiJ Busk. {F.v}smb!ranaoeQ-tnme(Xtat Smitt.)
AcamarchU plumoaa, Pallas.
Gemellaria loricata, Linn.
Hippothoa catenularia, Jameson. — A form of Mtmbranipora memhrawxeea. (Smitt.)
„ divarieata, Lam. = MoUia (Leprcdia) hycdina, Linn. (Smitt.)
Mtmbranipora Uneata, Linn.
„ Flemingit, Busk.
i, piloaa, Linn. '*
„ Americana, D'Orb.
Z^pi'alia aurictdata, Hasscll. (According to Smitt an Escharella.)
varialota, Bmk. ) Varieties of Diacorvora coecinw. (Smitt.)
ventncosa, Hassall. J • * .
pirtMiOi Esper.
prodiActa, Packard.
pliMOy Dawson.
St^if „
sp., near to trispinosa, Johnston. <,
CM^for^ftfLepraUaJ hyaXina^iyOr\t, Cellepora puimcosa, Linn. Myriozoum gubgracde, D'Orb. Eacharoidea roaacea, Busk. Eaehara eleganhda, D'Orb.
„ iS%«»«i 1 Ellis and Solander. : -.*
CaUeporaria incraaaata, Lam. Betepora celluloaa var. elongata, Smitt. ■.
■t
^'$.
(Cydo^omtita.)
Criaia ^narnea, Linn. Jdmone<n Atlantica, Forbes.
-afi;.
aerpma, Linn.
T^buUporajHaMtaria, Johnston. ( c T. fimbria, Lam. Smitt.)
:%»•»«
■■■
\ rarely ) as an in that o
17
fifiHTjDicutopora obelia, Fleml Patinella patina, Icsa.
IKscoparella higpida, Fleming ( = i>. Verruemia, Linn., Smitt.) Defrancia lucernaria, Sars.
^. ^^*^^ i ^fj^i vlw '^'-f^^^^ir^^^^tnifJL .i:^^^^^^tft^0^ t/^^^i-Y
(Ctenoatomata.)
I....- iJ^nxjt
ed Bev .^ ; views. ; quently icularly generic e yet to __ ete, not
(Smitt.)
«
Alcyowdvwm, gdatvnomm, Fallaa
Tunicata.
Ten species of these curious moUuscoids were collected, of •which six are simple and four are compound forms. Most of these have b«en examined by Professor Verrill, who has identified all those to which an asterisk is prefixed. The simple species are : —
BoUenia clavatat Ff<br. — Of large siae, a few miles distant from Bonaventure Island, in from fifty to sixty fathoms water.
CyMhia pyriformifii Kathke. — In nine fathoms, rocky bottom, oifOape Rosiei.
* „ cornea, Verrill. ( = JaciVia cornea, Agassiz.) — In one locality.
*Eugyra piltdaris, Verrill. — This is the species doubtfully referred to Molgula cerenof.a, in my report for 1871.
'^Pelonaia arenijera, Stimpson. — Very rare. Only one specimen was collected.
^Ascid' opsia complariatus, YeniW. (Fabricius, sp.) — Taken in several localities this year as well as last.
The four compound species, each of which occurred in several localities in more_ or less abundance, are : —
Botryllvs (sp.) *A'nwwroecium pallidum.
*Zeptoclirmm albidum. , * „ ghhrum.
MoUuaca.
The number of actual novelties among the shells collected is not large ; still, several interesting species were collected. Moat of the rarer deep-sea shells dredged in 1871 were also taken last summer. The following is a list of the most interesting shells : it includes a few species taken in 1871, but which had not been studied or determined when my previous report was written : —
Maconia inflata, Stimpson, M. S. S. — Taken sparingly in many localities.
Astarte. — The two dpecies of Astarte, called in my last report A. sulcata var. minor and A. crebricostata — Forbes — I believe to be distinct and imdescribed species. Professor Verrill thinks the A. sidcata var. ndnor is a dwarf variety of Stimpson's Astarte lens. Both shells were taken sparingly this year. ' '
Nucula (sp.) — A small Nticula, taken in deep water, seems to me to differ from any described American species.
Yoldia limatula, Say. — Alive in sixty fathoms, about five miles from Bonaventure Island.
Leda tenuisulcata, Couth. — ^Typical examples of this shell were taken in 110 fathoms, off Cape Hosier. Perhaps a variety of Leda pemula.
Dacrydiu/m vitreum, HolboU. — Several specimens of this shell occun-ed with the preceding.
Terebratella Spitzbergensis, Davids. — Sparingly, in four or five localities. i Scaphander puncto-atriattia, Mighels. (=S. librarius, Loven.) — Onefifie adult living example, one inch an^ an eighth long, was dredged in 200 fathoms, between Cape Rosier and the south-west point of AntioostL
Oylichna strigella f Loven. Alive in deep water, rare.
Dentaliv/m occidentale, Stimps. — Dead but adult specimens of this shell, taken in 1871, w«re referred by me to D. ahy$8&fvm, Sai-s. A aeries of living examples, of all 3
18
ages, collected last Hummer in deep water, shew that the Hp«oiefl is not pentagonal when young, and that it belongs to Stimpson'n previously obscure and rare species.
Siphonodentalium vitreum, Bars. — With the preceding : it is the DvntaUum lobatum of Sow^rby.
liiaaoa ( Paltulinella) globulus, MoUer. — One specimen, in sixty fathoms, off Bona- venture Island.
RUsoa carinata, Mighels. — In ninetv-six fathoms, Trinity Bay, alive and frequent. —1871.
Eissoella ebtvmea, Stimps. — One living adult, in seventy fathoms, oflf Moisie village. —1871.
Eulima stenostoma, — Jeflfreys, — Another specimen of this rare shell was taken in deep water.
Sipho curtus, Jeffreys. — This is Sip/to Sarsii, Jeifreys, of my previous report. S. curkcs seoms to he the proper name. '^'
Sijiho Spitzhergmais ? Reeve. — In sixty fathoms, off Bonaventure Island.
Fasciolaria ligata, Mighels. — Gasp^ Bay, thirty fathoms, stones, living. — 1871.
iSpirialis balea ? Miiller. — Dead shells of this species wore taken from the mud brought up from 313 fathoms. Upwards ot 160 species of marine moUusca are now known from the seas of the Province of Quebec.
Ill
JHSTU
^Fishes.
dr
A solitary specimen of the Saund Launce (Ammodytea AmtriccmuaJ was the only fish brought up by the dredge. On the surface, Gaateroateus aculeatus'f wa« always abundant, and many examples of young " lump-suckers " (Cyelopterua lumpua) k^A of a sjjecies of Blenny were taken in the towing-net.
From the preceding sketch, it may be seen that the most interesting specimens among the species determined belong to ihe Actinozoa and Crustacea. There are many curious and . .re forms also among the sponges, Hydrozoa and marine worms collected, but these have yet to be studied. If, notwithstanding the numerous difficulties we had to contend with, so much new information was obtained about the invertebrates inhabiting the river and Ciulf of St. Lawrence, what might we not expect from more systematic and extended operations % V
In the following and concluding portion of this report, an attempt will be made to bhew the practical bearings of the vaiious facts collected during the past summer.
Part III.
Notes on some points relaHng to the Sea Fisheries oftht Province of Quebec, and on other
Practical Subjects.
Such remarks as refer exclusively to matters connected with the sea fisheries of thf Gulf are offered with much hesitation. My actual experience is limited to five summers' visits to the Lower St. Lawrence, and is doubtless less, in some respects, than that of many, if not of most, of the superintendents or managers of the various large fishing establishments along the coast. Such examinations as I have been enabled to make into the nature of the animal life existing on the sea bottom, or floating on its surface, can hardly, however, fail to throw some light on the habits and food of the most important edible fishes.
The area that I have attempted to explore extends on the North Shore from Point (les Monts to a few miles east of Natashquan, and on the South from the G-rande Val)^« Biver to the Magdalen group. It embraces a complete circuit around Aniicosti and ,th« Magdalen Islands.
1%*
In this region, the most important sen fishes (from an eoonomic jxjint of view) are the cod and halibut, the herring and mackerel. The first two of these feed for the most part at the bottom, and the last usually at or near the surface of the sea.
There are many points in connection with the natural history of the cod fish (or fishes) of the St. Lawrence which require elucidation. Whether there aro one, two, or even more sj)ecies is not* very clearly ascertaineil. l)v. Giinthor says that the European cod (GaduH murrhvxi, Linn.) ranges from the "coasts of northern Europe, Iceland and Greenland, southwards to New York." On the other hand, Mr. Putnam and Profes.sor Gill state that the cod of the Labrador coast is the American cod, (hulus arenosus of Mitchell, the Morrhua Americana of other writers. If the European and American cod are distinct species — a point which, we think, has yet to be decided — it is probable that both are to be found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. . ,/
A few experimente made on the spot, hi the depth of winter, would throw much light on what becomes of the cod, and of other kinds of fish also, in the cold months. Whether this 8i)ecies is migratory or not in its habits is quite an oj)en question, so far aa/acts are concerned. We now know something of the animal life of the deep-sea mud, though not so mi»ch as could be wisher' Although the invertebrate fauna of the deep sea is tolerably varied, there is a far larger number both of species and individuals in the zone between low-water mark and from sixty to seventy fathoms water, than there la between 100 and 300 fathoms. Such, at least, is my experience, so fai*. But in Canada it is by no means improbable that many species, cspocially among the higher crustacea, ma>j live in shallow wator in the summer and retire to deeper places in winter. As it is not possible to dredge at this soason, we cannot tell whether ijuoh is the case or not. The evidence in our possession is ui present insufficient to shew more than that a certain amount of food for cod does imq\u;stionably exist in the greatts'i: depths.
The dates at which cod spawn vary much in different seasons and at difierent places. No kind of animal food seems to come amiss to this fish. It devours greedily herring, capelin, mackerel, lance, squids, crustaceans, moJlusca, brittle stars,and even, as Dr.Eortin and others ussure me, young individuals of its own species. After the spawning season is over, the adult cod (the " mother fish " of the fishermen) congregate mostly on banks, where they devour crustaceans, molluscs, &c. The young ilsh, on the oth( r hand, live and feed in shallow water, near the shore. The cod which feed on banks, take only, or almost only, fuU-yrown specimens of crabs, shells, &c, and leave immature ones. As these fish rarely visit the si' me feeding ground two years in succession, a constant supply of food is thus ensured. The natural enenues of the cod are, fortunately, not very numerous, nor do they seem to affect the value of the fisheries in an appreciable way. The grampus and the various kinds of seal, the osprey, bald eagle, and various sea birds, together with sharks and some other larga fishes, imdoubtedly destroy great numbers ot cod. Far more to be feared than these are the results which can hai-dly fail to ensue from a wasteful and improvident system of fishing.
The practice of manuring the gromid with capelin, herrings, &c. (and doubtless often with young cod also), has often been complained of : it should be discouraged and if possible put a stop to. From the Appendices to the last Report of the Fisheries branch of this Department, I learn that in the year ending 30th June, 1871, 1,457 barrels of herring, 7,848 of capelin, and 260 of smelts, were used as manure !
In Gaspe Bay, complaints have often been made in my hearing of the use of seines along shore (by Americans), for the purpose of catching mackerel or bait. Large quan- tities of young cod ai-e said to be caught in these seines with the mackerel, and the former are thrown away as useless. It seems desirable to prevent, as far as possibhj, the capture of cod of a size too small to be of any value for food. Crews of United States' scliooners, &c., fishing outside the three-mile limit, clean and salt the fish caught on board their vessels, and almost invariably throw the ofllil overboard upon the fishing grounds. It is said that this latter proceeding has an injui'ious effect, and that it tends to drive the cod away from its spawning grounds. This, however, may be local prejudice merely ; and in justice to \h.Q Amdricans it must be added, that the law does not, at present, allow
LjH^^
li
n
m
li
, :ili
2d
them to clean and prepare theii* fiah ashore. If it is illegal to throw the offal overboard, as I have been informed is the case, wJiut else are they to do 1
The utilization of cod-uffal is a matter of considerable importance to the residents alorig our sea coast. If the offensive smell could be cheaply and easily removed, a valuable manure would always bo available for agriodtiwal purposes. Many methods for effecting this have been devised, and I venture to Kiiggesfc that eartli is well known to be one of the best deodorizers. In many phices on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, visited by me in 1871, the stench from decomposing fish offal spread \ipon the fields with no previous preparation ^as almost intolerable. As might have been expected, many cases of fever, etc., were reported at these stations,* which Commander Lavoie attributed wholly to the noisome effluvia of this primitive manure. Many intestinal woi'ms are to lie found in the stomachs of cod ; and as pigs feed largely upon fish-offal, and pork is the ])rincipal meat consumed alonjj the coast, it is easy to see that diseases may arise in this way.
With regard to the halibut fishery I have very little practical knowledge. Dr. Storer, in his excellent memoir on Jie fishes of Massachusetts, states it as his opinion that the American halibut is identical with the European species, the Hippoijlosaus vulgaria of Fleming. Later writers, however, on both sides of the Atlantic, think differently on this point. Dr. Gunther descriV)es the Canadian fi.sh as a distinct and new species, to which he gives the name Hippoglossua Groenlandiciis. He says that the halibut of Europe " has the lateral line with a strong curve above the pectoral, the depth of the curve being one- fourth its width." In the Canadian species, according to the same writer, " the lateral line descends gently in an oblique straight line above the pectoral, and is not curved." Professor Theodore Gill, in a papq;i' on the fishes of the Bay of Fundy (published in the Canadian Naturalist, vol. ii., page 257), gives the name Ilippoglosaus Americamis to the St. Lawrence halibut. In summer, this species appears to feed along the bottom in shallow water ; and in winter it probably retires to the daepest places it can find. Few Canadians seem to engage in the halibut fishery : it appears to be at present mainly prosecuted by Americans. In the Montreal retail market, halibut fetches a somewhat high price, ranging from 13 to 20 cents per pound.
it has never been my good fortune to visit any station along the coast where either or mackerel is cured for the market ; nor have 1 been able to examine tlio contents of the stomachs of either.
Many American naturalists, such as Lesueur, Storer, and others, regard the American herring as a distinct species from the European fish. Dr. Gunther and Professor Rein- hardt are of a different opinion, and can see no essential diff>ri,nce between the two so-called species. Dr. Gunther also states that all the whitebait he has seen are young herrings. I am aware that this l-vtter statement has been called in question, but, in my judgment, it has not been disproved. If, then, the American and the European herring are conspecific, and whitebait are young herring (both of which Dr. Gunther asserts to be the case), it follows that, in summer, whitebait must be abundant in the Gulf of St. Law- rence. There seems to be no reason why whitebait dinners should not be as feasible at Tadousac,(fec. as they are at Richmond, and other places of resort in or near London. The so-called " sardines " of the Lower St. Lawrence are young herrings. The true sardine of the Meditermnean (which appears to be the same sper^ies as the pilchard of Cornwall) has not yet, so far as I know, been fourd in America. In Commander Lavoie's report of the cruise of La Canadienne for 1871, it is stated that large quantities of herring are taken at the Magdalen Islands by means of the seine, xhe following passage is quoted from a lecture on the herring fishery, by M. A. Warren, Esq., the owner of a large fishing establishment on the Labrador coast : — " Of late years, herring seines have been much used on the Labrador coast, almost entirely superseding the use of nets, to the manifest injury of the fithing population."
The common mackerel of our coast is probably the Scomber sco/tibrus of Linnaeus, of whioh*the a^. vemalis of Mitchell appears to be a synonym. If Dr. Gunther's view be the correct one, the mackerel of Canada and New England ib the same as that of Northern
herring
n
Europe. Mr. Putnam nays that " the northern limit of the mackerel is the Strait of Belle Tsle;" while, according to Professor Reinhardt, the cod, halibut, and herring are found in Greenland, but the mackerel is not. Tn the European Hpecies there i.s no air-bladder. Like the cod, the mackerel is very voracious, and seems to take readily all kinds of animal food. Besides devourini:; small fishes of various kinds, like the heiring it feeds also upon such marine animals its float oti or n<!ar the surface of the watsr.
By the use of the towing-net during the last summer, a fair general idea of this surface fauna has been gained. These floating aninuvls may conveniently be divided into two groups — th»80 which are purely oceanic, and those which* are wa.shed out to sea from the shore. To the first of 'these divisions lielong jelly fishes, of many genera and species, and minute crustaceans. In Gasp(^', the fishermen call jelly fishsa " mackerel bait," and floating crustaceans " whale bait." The " red " and the *• white" hemng meat of Mr. Boeck (see j)age 114 of this report) belong to this gi'oup. What is practically the " red " herring (and mackerel) food is abundant in the St. Lawrence, although the genera and sjiocies in the two countries may not always be the same. The " white " meat also may be not unfrequent, for the number of marine worms in the Gulf is very large. Our second division includes all those creatures which live on or among the larger sea weeds which originally grow near low-water mark, but which get drifted out to sea. Amongst these weeds may be found small fishes of two or three kinds, the fry of the common sea mussel, and a few species of sea snails, amongst them naked gilled sea slugs of the genus Doris. The crust- aceans are for the most part the fry of the common crab, and full-grown examples of beach fleas, which belong to the order Ampliipoda of zoologists. The weeds are also more or less covered with parasitic barnacles, and zoophytes belonging to th» orders Hydrozoa and Polyzoa. The " black " meat previously spoken of has not yet been detected upon algie in the St. Lawrence. In Europe, the species of Rissoa are very numerous, and several kinds live in shallow water near the shore. In Canada, only six kinds of Rissoa are known north of the Bay of Ohaleurs, and five of these are peculiar to comparatively deep water, while the other is not very common. Not a single adult specimen of the latter was observed, although quantities of floating masses of weed brought u]) in the towing-net were carefully exaniined. Besides the two groups just described, in which the animals are strictly marine, large numbers of land and fresh-water insects are drifted out to sea in the summer months. These belong to many orders and species, and are not unfreqiiently taken alive.
It is said that fish which are killed and bled as soon as they are caught are much better than those which are allowed to die a natui-al death. Some methods of killing fish are stated to offer peculiar advantages, Tno Duccli ]ilan is to sever the spinal cord and arteries of the neck, just at the back of the head, with a knife.' Nothing of the kind is ever dreamt of by the Lower Canadian fishermen, who allow the cod they have caught to suffocate in a lingering way, often under a hot sun.
In a short time, the fishery clauses of the Treaty of Washington wi.T, doubtless, come into practical operation. No opportunity can be moi-e fitting than the present for an examination into the existing laws relating to the fisheries, to see if they are capable of amendment or improvement. It is desirable on the one hand to try and check any waste of the bountiful supplies with which our coasts now periodically teem, and on the other to teach the fishing population the best and most approved methods of preserving the fish they catch. That no little waste of valuable food has hitherto taken place is undeniable, and there is too much reason to fear that this evil may reach to still graver dimensions, and that the fisheries may be exhausted or impoverished, unless precautionary measures be taken to prevent such a calamity to the dwellers along our sea board. It has been recently stated by Montreal merchants, in the daily papev^, that the quality of some of the salt fish prepared on the coast is so bad as to make it almost worthless in the market. This circumstance, however, may be attribv' ible to the unusual amount of rainy and wet weather experienced in the Gulf last summb^.
It Beems desirable that a Special Commisnon flhould ba appointed to inveitifrate into, and from time to tirno rojiort upon, r,ll inattcrH which affect the soa fisherioH of Canada. The commiaaion Huggontud Hhouhl havct power to make such iieceHHury regulationH as other countries have found desirable for the protection and development of their resources i.i this direction. As great att^mtion lias been directed by scientific men in the United States, of late years, to all qucatioiis connected with the sea and river fisheries, it would be very desirable to tuik some of these gentlemen to form part of the proposed commission, and to give us the benefit of their experience. If tliis body were composed of an equal number of representatives from Canada and the United States, it is reasonable to infer that the authorities of the neighbouring republic would acquiesce in such mearjures as the common rjense of all might suggest for adoption. Of courae, it would be of little use to make a new code of regulations, however excellent these might be in themselves, unless they are to be proiwrly enforced. The present small fleet cf Government steamers would be no more than sufficient to see that they arc effectually carried out, and to preserve order along such a large extent of coast.
Since my last report was written, I have examined all the ship worms I have been able to procure from Canadian waters. The Gasp6 Bay species, dredged by Principal Dawson, in water-logged wood, is Xylophaga dorsalia of Turton, a genus new to America. It must be of very rare occurrence at this locality, for I have dredged in upwards of twenty localities in the Bay without fiuding it. Teredo navalis, Linn., occurs at St. John^, N. B., and at Pictou, N. S., I have aeon specimens from each of these ports. Thi3 is the same species which made such ravages among the piles in Holland, in the years 1731 and 1732. Ship worms of large size are said to be found at Halifax ; and Mr. J. J. Fox informs me they are frequent in the hulls of vessels anchored among the Magdalen Islands. I shall be gl^d to examine and report upon any specimens that may be sent to me from any part of the Dominion. The worms may be best preserved in alcohol, or places of the wood burrowed into by them may be forwarded. These latter often contain the valves and pallets of the mollusc, which are sufficient to identify the species.
The use of the di*edge throws some light on the feasibility or otherwise of a project which has been much talked of, viz. : that of laying submarine telegraph cables in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A much better idea of the nature of the bottom of the sea can be got by dredging than by merely using sounding lines. As T have elsewhere shewn, the deep- sea mud is not unfrequently dotted over with large and often irregular stones, with ragged edges, and these might ultimately chafe and cut such cables. The approximate tempera- ture (in summer) of the deep-sea mud, and of depths varying from 30 to 313 fathoms, has been ascei-tained as far as possible. It is highly probable that this temperature is pretty unifot-m throughout the year, And lastly, by means of such investigations as the present, it is quite feasible to ascertain whether such marine animals exist along a given line as might injure a submarine cable, by boring into it or otherwise.
Montreal, 14th January, 1873.
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