THE HERRING AND ITS ALLIES. 



335 



Italians as 'Sardina.' It is, in fact, almost exactly identical with the 

 Sardine of Europe. It reaches a length of a little less than a foot. It 

 ranges from Cape Mendocino to Chili, and is extremely abundant south- 

 ward, especially in the winter, when it fills all the bays. In the summer 

 it is generally scarce southward, although still taken northward. The 

 young are, however, seen in San Diego in the summer. It is probably to 

 some extent migratory along the coast, but as little attention is paid to it, 

 no definite data can be given. It is brought into the markets when taken, 

 and is sold with the Herring. The question of the possibility of canning 

 it in oil, like the Sardine, has been considerably discussed. It would 

 probably prove unprofitable, from the high price of labor and the uncer- 

 tain supply of fish." 



Far more abundant than the Herring, and occurring at times on all parts 

 of our Atlantic coast, is the Menhaden, Brcvoortia tyrannus. This species 

 has at least thirty popular names, most of them limited in their use within 

 narrow geographical boundaries. To this circumstance may be attributed 

 the prevailing ignorance regarding its habits and migrations, among our 

 fishermen, which has perhaps prevented the more extensive utilization of 

 this fish, particularly in the South. 



THE MENHADEN. 



North of Cape Cod the name " Pogy " is almost universally in use r 

 while in Southern New England the fish is known only as the " Menhaden." 

 These two names are derived from two Indian words of the same meaning ; 

 the first being the Abnaki name '* Pookagan," or " Poghaden," which 

 means " fertilizer," while the latter is the modification of a word which 

 in the Narragansett dialect meant "that which enriches the earth." 

 About Cape Ann, "Pogy" is partially replaced by " Hard-head " or 



25 



