INLAND FISHERIES. 25 



1878, and August 9, 1878, I caught young blue-fish of about three- 

 quarters of an inch in length in Pensacola Bay. These fry were very 

 active and gave me no little trouble in capturing them. 



Their color was a brilliant green, which faded considerably when 

 placed in alcohol. These, with others, were sent to the National 

 Museum with m}^ collections of that year. Many other specimens of 

 about that size were seen in August, but escaped my net. During the 

 months of November and December many small schools of blue-fish are 

 seen to pass out of the inlets, and, if there is not much surf, to follow 

 along the beach eastward. Blue-fish of all sizes may be seen at this 

 time, the smaller ones measuring in length three to five inches, the 

 intermediate sizes, ten, twelve, and fifteen inches, and the large ones 

 from the last-mentioned size to a size weighing fifteen to eighteen 

 pounds. Ten pounds is not an unusual weight for large blue-fish, but 

 those of eighteen pounds are rare. 



Blue-fish are said to be more abundant on this coast than formerly, 

 and any change in the last five years has tended to an increase rather 

 than a decrease. It is an exceedingly voracious fish, preying upon any 

 kind of fish through which its teeth can cut and which its jaws can 

 surround. I think its migratory movement on this coast is caused 

 more on account of its food becoming scarcer in cold weather than on 

 account of its being influenced by the change of the temperature of the 

 water. For on the coldest days of the year (in December) blue-fish 

 are sometimes caught in shoal water in great abundance as well as at 

 any other time. The blue-fish is one of the choicest food fishes of this 

 coast, and is much used, both fresh and salted." 



Eqj-ll on the Blue-fish in North Carolina. — Below is given an out- 

 line of the winter blue-fish fisheries of the Southern coast as gathered 

 from notes made during the visit of Mr. R. E. Earll to that region : 



The large fish are taken in two localities — first, a few miles off Cape 

 May, and again on the Carolina coast between Cape Henry and Ocra- 

 coke Inlet. They are most abundant between Cape Hatteras and New 

 Inlet. Small fish frequently enter the sounds during the summer 



