152 AMERICAN FISHES. 



Guianas through the Gulf of Mexico and north to Nova Scotia, though 

 never seen in the Bay of Fundy. From Cape Florida to Penobscot Bay, 

 Bluefish are abundant at all seasons when the temperature of the water is 

 propitious. It is not yet known what limits of temperature are the most 

 favorable to their welfare, but it would appear, from the study of the dates 

 of their appearance during a period of years in connection with the ocean 

 temperature, that they prefer to avoid water which is much colder than 

 40°. It is possible that the presence of their favorite food, the menhaden, 

 has as much influence upon their movements as water temperature. Certain 

 it is, that few Bluefish are found on our Middle and Southern coast when 

 the menhaden are absent ; on the other hand, the Bluefish do not venture 

 in great numbers into the Gulf of Maine at the time when menhaden are 

 schooling and are at their greatest abundance. Their favorite summer 

 haunts are in the partially protected waters of the Middle States from 

 May to October, with an average temperature of 60° to 75°. The men- 

 haden, or certain schools of them, affect a cooler climate and thrive in the 

 waters of Western and Central Maine in the months Avhen the harbor 

 temperatures are little above 50° and 55°, and that of the ocean consid- 

 erably lower. 



Since Prof. Baird wrote in 1871, there has been no great change in 

 the abundance of Bluefish. They are quite sufficient in number to supply 

 the demand for them and to make great inroads upon the other fishes, 

 some of which, like the menhaden and mackerel, would perhaps, if undis- 

 turbed by the Bluefish, be more valuable than they are at present. They 

 have now been with us for fifty years. Their numbers are subject to 

 periodical variations, of the causes of which we are ignorant. It is to be 

 regretted that there are no records of it in the South Atlantic States. If 

 such existed, we might, perhaps, learn from them that the Bluefish 

 remained in those waters while absent from the northern coasts. Only 

 one statement is to be found which covers this period, although Lawson, 

 in his " History of North Carolina," published in 1709, and Catesby, in 

 his '' Natural History of the Carolinas," published in 1743, refer to its 

 presence. In " Bartram's Travels," published in 1791, the "Skipjack" is 

 mentioned as one of the most abundant fish at the mouth of the St. John's 

 River. When Bluefish again became abundant their presence was first 

 noticed at the Soutli, and tliey seem to have made tlicir inroads from that 

 direction. The Bluefish was unknown to Schoepf, if we may judge from 



