INLAND FISHERIES. 19 



by the blue-fish. In the siiramer time the young are quite apt to estab- 

 lish themselves singly in a favorite locality, and, indeed,'to accompany 

 the fry of other fishes, usually playing below them, and every now 

 and then darting upward and capturing an unlucky individual, while 

 the rest dash away in every direction. In this manner they attend 

 upon the young mullet, atheriuas, etc. They are very fond of squid, 

 which may very frequently be detected in their stomachs. 



In August, 1870, about Fire Island, Mr. S. I. Smith found their 

 stomachs filled with marine worms, a species of heteronereis, which, 

 though usually burrowing in the mud, at that season swims freely tow- 

 ard the surface in connection with the operation of reproduction. 

 This, like the squid, is a favorite bait for the bluefish, and they appear 

 to care for little else when these are to be had. This fact probably 

 explains the reason why, at certain seasons, no matter how abundant 

 the fish may be, they cannot be taken with the drail or squid bait." ' 



The blue-fish are believed to have had a very important influence 

 upon the abundance of other species on some parts of the coast. This 

 has been noticed especially on the north side of Cape Cod. South of 

 Cape Cod the small fish occur in such numerous abundance that even 

 the voracity of millions of blue-fish could hardly produce any effect 

 upon them. Captain Atwood has recorded his belief that the advent 



1 The loUowing extract from the «' Gloucester Telegraph " of June'4, 1870, gives an idea of their 

 influence upon other fishes : 



"Abundance of Fish in New Jersey— 1870.— Accounts from New Jersey say that the blue- 

 fish came in at Barnegat Inlet last week, sweeping through the bay, over flats as well as through 

 the channel, dri%ing millions of bushels of bunkers before them and filling the coves, creeks^ 

 ditches and ponds in the meadows full. At Little Egg Harbor Inlet they drove shad on shore so 

 that people gathered them up by wagon-loads. Fish lie in creeks, ponds, etc., along the meadows 

 two feet deep, so that one can take a common fork and pitch them into a boat or throw them on the 

 bank. In some places they lie in windrows on the meadows where the tide has taken them, so they 

 take large wood-scows alongside and load them." 



1857._«« Blue-fish were very plenty off our shores in the early part of autumn. They are great 

 enemies to the menhaden ; and for several days such a war raged that the beaches were strewn with 

 dead fish, chiefly of the latter species. Mr. Lewis, the historian, said that in two tides he picked 

 up nine bushels and buried them in his garden for manure."— Lewis and Newhall, p. 452, History 

 of Lynn. 



