244 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



and drum-fish.* The whiting keeps on the bottom, 

 and bites only when the flood or the ebb is half over. 

 Fresh from the water its color is reddish, but changes 

 to divers other colors when the fish is dead or shortly 

 before. 



The drum-fish gets its name from a grunting noise 

 it makes in some unknown way. In southern waters 

 it likes the neighborhood of ships, whence its music 

 may be heard, especially at night. Before leaving 

 Augustin, having to lie at anchor several nights, each 

 night we had a numerous company of them beneath 

 the ship, the bottom of which had recently been tal- 

 lowed, and it was the skipper's opinion that this was 

 the especial attraction to them. The noise they made 

 was unceasing, as if one was answering another from 

 different sides of the ship. It was a short, hollow 

 sound, like the dull grunting of a hog or the noise 

 made by the American bull-frog (Rana ocellata). As 

 soon as the flood-tide grew pretty strong, they became 

 quiet. Judging by the sound, it is rather improbable 

 it is made by their rubbing against the ship's bottom, 

 which is the commoner opinion. But what serves 

 them as a physical instrument would be worth looking 

 carefully into. 



These waters contain, besides, almost all the fish 

 which appear in Carolina, and many of them are the 

 same as those found in the neighboring Bahamas ; nor 

 is there any lack of alligators. 



* Mullet, Mugil Albula L. Whiting, Perca Alburnus L. 

 But is hardly to be classed with the Percae. Radii branchiar. 

 Numero variant. 3. 4. 5. Cirrhus brevis sub Mento. Labium 

 superius protractum. Striae obliquae vix discernendae. Habi- 

 tus a Percis diversus. Drum-fish. Labrus Croniis L. 



