3 68 AMERICAN FISHES. 



Some of the fishermen say that they go on the mud-flats and oyster-beds 

 at the mouth of the river to deposit their eggs. What becomes of them 

 after this no one seems to know, but it is probable that they spread them- 

 selves throughout all the adjacent rivers, bays, and sounds, in such a 

 manner as not to be perceptible to the fishermen, who make no effort at 

 this time to secure the spent, lean fish. Many of them probably find 

 their way to the lakes, and others remain wherever they find good feeding 

 ground, gathering flesh and recruiting strength for the great strain of the 

 next spawning season. There is no evidence of any northern or southern 

 coastwise migrations, the habits of the species apparently being very local. 



The fisherman recognizes three distinct periods of schooling or separate 

 runs of mullet. To what extent these are founded on tradition, or upon 

 the necessity of change in the size of the mesh of their nets, it is impossi- 

 ble to say. The "June Mullet" average about five to the pound ; the 

 " Fat Mullet," which are taken from August 20 to October 1, weigh 

 about two pounds ; these have, the fishermen say, a " roe of fat " on each 

 side as thick as a man's thumb. The "Roe Mullet" weigh about two 

 and a half pounds, and are caught in November and until Christmas. 

 Between the seasons of "Fat Mullet" and "Roe Mullet" there is an 

 intermission of two or three weeks in the fishing. How to interpret these 

 curious statements is surely a difficult problem, and one which can be 

 solved only by careful study of the fishes themselves at these seasons. The 

 fishermen insist that these schools come successively down the river and 

 proceed directly out to sea. They will not believe that the " Fat Mullet ' 

 and the "Roe Mullet' are the same schools under different circum- 

 stances. I would hazard the suggestion that the "Fat Mullet' of 

 September are the breeding fish of November, with roes in an immature 

 state, the ova not having become fully differentiated. 



The largest fish appear rarely to exceed six pounds. This is exceptional, 

 however. Mr. W. H. Tate, of Melton & Co., Jacksonville, tells me that 

 he never saw one exceeding seven pounds, though he had heard of one 

 weighing fourteen. He showed me on the floor of the fish-market a line 

 indicating the length of a very large one; this measured twenty-nine 

 inches. At Mayport none had been seen exceeding six pounds in weight". 

 At the mouth of the St. John's cast-nets ten feet in diameter are used, 

 but most Mullet are taken in gill-nets, which are swept around the 

 schools, the fish being easily visible at the surface. These nets are from 



