On the Death of Fishes on the Coast of the Bay of Fundy

Abstract

W hen engaged in a shooting-expedition in the forests of South-western New Brunswick at the entrance of the Magaguadavic River, I had my attention directed to an extraordinary occurrence which took place on the 24th of September, 1867, in one of the numerous inlets or creeks in the Devonian and Silurian beds that constitute the chief geological formations of this portion of the coast-line of the Bay of Fundy. Andersen's Cove, as it is called, is a small bay to the west of the mouth of the above-named river, and at the entrance of a valley, down which runs an insignificant stream emptying into a muddy lagoon about 1200 feet in circumference at high water. This lagoon is oval-shaped, the small end communicating with Anderson's Cove by means of a narrow and rocky channel at its eastern extremity. A sea-wall, formed of rocks, stranded logs, and lumber piled in confused masses, intervenes between the cove and the lagoon in front; so that the only direct communication is by the passage just mentioned. The area thus enclosed forms a large lake at high tide, into which the waves rush and retire with great force, whilst at ebb tide the water is shallow, forming a muddy morass of about half the dimensions already given. On the 24th of September, during a heavy gale from the west, impinging almost straight on the entrance to the lagoon, and whilst the sea was running high, enormous numbers of small fishes were observed floating dead on the