248 AMERICAN FISHES. 



For many years from three to six hundred of these fish have been taken 

 annually on the New England coast. It is not unusual for twenty-five or 

 more to be seen in the course of a single day's cruising, and sometimes as 

 many as this are visible from the mast-head at one time. Capt. Ashby 

 saw twenty at one time, in August, 1839, between George's Banks and the 

 South shoals. One Gloucester schooner, the "Midnight," Capt. Alfred 

 Wixom, took fourteen in one day on George's Banks, in 1877. 



Capt. John Rowe obtained twenty barrels, or four thousand pounds, of 

 salt fish on one trip to George's Banks ; this amount represents twenty fish 

 or more. 



Capt. Ashby has killed one hundred and eight Sword-fish in one year ; 

 Capt. M. C. Tripp killed about ninety in 1874. 



Such instances as these indicate in a general way the abundance of the 

 Sword-fish. A vessel cruising within fifty miles of our coast, between 

 Cape May and Cape Sable, during the months of June, July, August, and 

 September, cannot fail, on a favorable day, to come in sight of several of 

 them. Mr. Earll states that the fishermen of Portland never knew them 

 more abundant than in 1879. This is probably, in part, due to the fact 

 that the fishery there is of very recent origin. . 



There is no evidence of any change in their abundance, either increase 

 or decrease. Fishermen agree that they are as plenty as ever, nor can 

 any change be anticipated. The present mode of fishing does not destroy 

 them in any considerable numbers, each individual fish being the object of 

 special pursuit. The solitary habits of the species will always protect 

 them from wholesale capture, so destructive to schooling fish. Even if 

 this were not the case, the evidence proves that spawning Sword-fish do 

 not frequent our waters. When a female shad is killed, thousands of pos- 

 sible young die also. The Sword-fish taken by our fishermen carry no 

 such precious burden. 



"The small Sword-fish is very good meat," remarked Josselyn, in 

 writing of the fishes of New England in the seventeenth century. Since 

 Josselyn probably never saw a young Sword-fish, unless at some time he 

 had visited the Mediterranean, it is fair to suppose that his information 

 was derived from some Italian writer. 



It is, however, a fact that the flesh of the Sword-fish, though somewhat 

 oily, is a very acceptable article of food. Its texture is coarse ; the thick, 

 fleshy, muscular layers cause it to resemble that of the halibut in consist- 



