THE FOOD AND GAME FISHES OF NEW YORK. 



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43. Hickory Shad (^Poino/obus incdiocris Mitchill). 



Cltipea mcdiocris Jordan' &- (Iilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus., 266, 1883 ; Bean, 19th 



Rept. N. Y. Comni. Fish., separate, 43, pi. XXV, fig. 34, 1890. 

 AloM mattim<aca DeKav, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 260, pi. 40, fig. 127, 1842. 



This species is referred to by Dr. Mitchill as the Staten Island Herring, Chtpca 

 mcdiocris, which, he says, grows very large for a herring, being frequently 18 inches 

 long and almost as big as a small shad. It has " si.K or eight brown spots, longi- 

 tudinally, below the lateral line," as reported by an inhabitant of that part of tiie 

 bay of New York which borders on Staten Island. Mitchill also has the same 

 species under the name of Long Island Herring, Clupca niattoivaca. This, he 

 says, is also called the Autumnal or Fall Herring, as well as Shad Herring and 

 Fall Shad. Mitchill recognized it as probably the full grown fish of the C. mcdi- 

 ocris. He was not able to distinguish it from that species. The length of the 



X 



HICKORY SHAD. 



Green Back, according to this w'riter, frequently reaches 2 feet, ^\•ith a depth of 

 from 4'/^ to 6 inches. At the time of this writing the fish was taken in October 

 and November in seines on the surf side of the beaches fronting Long Island. 

 Dr. DeKay mentions examples in the market early in Jul)% which are brought from 

 the Connecticut RiYcr, where they are called Weesick. He states that the specific 

 name bestowed on it by Mitchill was derived from the aboriginal name of the island, 

 Mattowaca or Mattowax. In Great South Bay the name Green Back is well estab- 

 lished for the species. A single example was seined, September 29, at Fire Island. 

 October i, 1890, considerable numbers of large Green Backs were caught in a trap 

 at Islip. The Hickory Shad is caught in Gravesend Bay during September, October 

 and November, but is less plentiful than it was formerly. Large Hickory Shad 

 weighing from ]/, pound to 2J/2 pounds were shipped from waters near New York 

 City to Fulton Market October 30, 1896. Each of them had in its stomach from 



