The sun., 1896-12-15
WEATHER AND MACKEREL.
LONG ISLAND EVOLYEs a THEORY
OF WARM DECEMBERS.

You See. ir Mnekerel Follow tho Guir
Stream and If They Come Ashore, Why
the Gnir Stream Comes Ashore, hut
what They Follow IS Their Appeutes.
Such weather rs this part OF the country has
been having since December came in has set
everybody to guessing what Is the matter. Here
It Is a fortnight from Christmas and the weather
Is like April, except that its smiles are more
constant. Squirrels are still abroad, and the
robins haven't thought IL worth while to emi-
CRATE.
1t really begins to look, as the years pass on,
as II winter were going ont OF fashion in the
metropolis. In the old times there were sleighs
in all tho well-appointed stables, every boy
owned n pair OF skates, and there arc not now
wanting men who will tell you of having walked
across the East River In winter before the first
stone of the big bridge was put In place Nova
days sleighing is so rare that cutter commands
price of sig for an afternoon: seven days
skating in the year is regarded as special in
terposition of Jack Frost on behalf of the
skaters, and IL there be Ice enough in the rivers
to impede the ferryboats all the people throw
up their hands ir wonder at the phenomenon
and tho newspapers print pieces about
IL. According to tho Weather Bureau
however, the mean temperature of recent
years has been the came rs that of other years.
but there has been less snow-a fact difficult to
account for. And now the weatherwise Long
Island fishermen have evolved a theory to
count for this change, namely, that tho Gulf
Stream is slowly drifting in shore. II 1t keeps
on drifting. they say. Coney Island may yet ad-
vertise midwinter surf bathing for invalids. and
the fiat stretches of Long Island bloom fruitful
with the orange. the banana. the tarantula, and
other products OF tropic climes. All this is pre-
saged by the mRckerel.
1t Is only recently that the mackerel has
achieved any recognition as prophet. There
is no record to show that the ancient Greeks
ever consulted his entraiis. nor did the Yankee
farmer of IA generation past consider him in the
same class with the ground hog. Nevertheless,
he has suddenly sprung into high ,repute on
Long Island. He has arrived by millions all
along the coast this season. swarming into BAYS
and rivers and even up small streams after hts
food. Never before have SO many mackerel
been seen in this regiun From this fact the
wise Long Islanders deduce the theory that the
Gulf Stream is moving In upon the United
States, because they say the mackerel follow
the warm water of the stream.
lnpursuit OF information regarding the prob
abilities for or against this theory, q Sun re-
porter went to the Weather Bureau yesterday.
The Weather Bureau people promptly dis.
whatsoever; said they weren't authority on
weather for fishes: they didn't know whether
vided II didn't move inland far enough to inter-
fcre with their anemometer it might cut all the
marine capers II chose. for all they cared.
Thence the reporter went to the United States
photographic ONCE, where the officials said
tuuI tney WOulu DC utllRnleu 10 klNe any IN
formation in their power regarding the Gulf
Stream. but the fact was, 1t was such n skittlsh
and uncertain current that you never knew
just where to put your finger on It. A long
continued westerly gallo might leave 1t SO far
out of its course that it wouldn't get back for
weeks. and when it did return it was Just AS
likely as not to come kiting in this direc-
tion along with an east wind. Al for any per-
manent change in its place OF residence they
hadn't heard OF such n thing. and didn't take
much stock In II. IL the Gulf Stream really
was moving upon our coast defences they rather
thought that something would have been heard
upon the subject from the Navy Department.
AS the testimony of tho Weather Bureau and
the Hydrographic Office tended to discredt the
mackerel The Sun reporter then called upon
DR.. Bean at the new Aquarium. because DR..
Bean knows all about fishes and could be relied
upon to defend the prophetic powers of the
ture of an imposture. The Doctor wasn't in
clned to support the claims made for the
mackerel.
The chief attribute of the mackerel," he
said. lis his appetite. A normal nackerel
doesn't care anv moro about the Gulf Stream
than he does about the aurora borealis when
he's hungry. What he can be depended 10
do is to 20 where there ID the most food Only
q few days ago Mr.. Blackford sent me a number
water is very much colder up there than here.
Wherever the smaller tsh on which the mack
erel feed go. the mackerel will follow. and a.
far any preferences for Temperature co. he
would skate across fields OF ice and toboggan
down glaciers II his prey were in front OF his
nose. No. i don't think the Gulf Stream will
take up q residence in New York this year: and
when 1t does we will have some better evidence
OF IT than few billion extremely hungry mack
Arel ca nisb