ON THE ECONOMICAL USES OF FISHES. 217 



a single cast of the large nets used at some places. 

 The fish, immediately upon their capture, are packed 

 in ice, and sent to the New York market, where 

 they have been known to sell as high as at £^ 

 sterling for one of large size, although the usual 

 price of the sheep's head is about a dollar. This fish 

 is pretty generally considered throughout the states, 

 both by epicures and others, as an. almost sans 

 pareil, and Dr. Mitchell, who has written much on 

 American ichthyology, is of the same opinion. 



The swimming-bladder of the weak-fish, Otholi- 

 ihus regalis^ is convertible into good glue, and, 

 according to Mitchell, as good blanc-mange is made 

 from it as from the isinglass of the sturgeon. But 

 it would be useless to enumerate more of the Ameri- 

 can fish useful as food or commercial articles, as we 

 have already devoted to their consideration more 

 space than was intended ; suffice it to say, as afibrd- 

 ing an idea of the number of edible species in the 

 United States, that one hundred and seventy are 

 described as being brought to the market of New 

 York alone. 



Several kinds of fish are said to be poisonous, but 

 their poisonous properties have not been properly 

 investigated, and, until this is done, and the causes 

 on which they depend well ascertained, our know- 

 ledge of this subject must be considered as very 

 vague indeed. The symptoms of fish poisoning are 

 stated to resemble cholera in a striking degree, 

 although it is not so fatal in its consequences. The 



