1 2 6 AMERICAN FISHES. 



ite bait is the drum, and being strong, lively and active in habit, they 

 afford great sport to the fishermen. They prefer deep and running waters, 

 and seldom approach so near the shore as to be taken in seines. Their 

 ordinary food seems to consist of various species of small shell-fish. 



THE WxIITING. MENTICIRRUS ALBURXUS. 



Speaking of the " Surf Whiting," of Charleston, Holbrook remarks: 

 " This species makes its appearance on the coast of Carolina in the month 

 of April, and continues with us during the entire summer, though very few 

 are taken in July or August. It is only found in shallow water where the 

 bottom is hard and sandy, often forming, when the tide is out, an exten- 

 sive beach. Its favorite resort is in the neighborhood of the shore where 

 the surf can roll over it from the ocean and bring with it doubtless the 

 animals on which it feeds. In such localities many are captured with the 

 seine and are sold in the market under the name ' Surf Whiting,' in con- 

 tradistinction to the other species which is called the ' Deep-water Whiting. ' 

 Its food seems to be similar to that of the Deep-water Whiting, judging 

 from the contents of its stomach, and yet it is seldom taken with the hook. 

 Hitherto I have only seen this fish in the immediate neighborhood of 

 Charleston. This fish is very commonly supposed to be the adult male of 

 the common Whiting, approaching the shoal water to deposit its spawn. 

 I believed it, from common report, to be such, until frequent dissections 

 proved to me that there are both males and females among them. The 

 flesh of this species is good, but by no means so finely flavored as that of 

 the Deep-water Whiting." 



At Mayport, Fla., the Whiting is abundant, and also at the mouth of 

 the St. John's. The largest observed by me measured ten inches, and in 

 the first week of April was within two or three weeks of spawning. A few 



