THE CAVALLY AND OTHER CARANGOIDS. 229 



Hayti to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where specimens were secured by the 

 United States Fish Commission in 1877. It is one of the commonest 

 summer visitants of the West Indian fauna along the whole coast of 

 Southern New England and the Middle States, being especially abundant 

 in the Gulf of Mexico, and one of the commonest fishes in the Bermudas. 

 This fish is occasionally brought to the New York market, but is of no 

 siiecial importance as an article of food north of the Gulf of Mexico. 

 Concerning its habits in those waters, Mr. Stearns has contributed a very 

 interesting series of notes. They are especially instructive, since nothing 

 has previously been known of its life-history. 



"It is extremely abundant everywhere on the Gulf coast of Florida, Ala- 

 bama, and Mississii)pi. At Pensacola it is one of the important fishes of 

 trade, and is highly prized for food. It is one of the class of migratory 

 fishes of this coast, like the pompano, mullet, Spanish mackerel, and red- 

 fish, ha\ing certain seasons for appearing and disappearing on the coast, 

 and also has habits during these seasons that are peculiar to themselves or 

 their class. It apj^ears on the coast in April, in large schools that swim 

 in shoal water near the beach during pleasant weather, when there is little 

 or no surf, in eight or ten feet of water, and in stormy weather some little 

 distance from the breakers. Their movement is from the eastward to the 

 westward. As they seldom swim at the surface, their movements can be 

 watched only when in shoal water. The schools ' running ' in April and 

 first of iVIay are usually smaller than those of a few weeks later, but the 

 individuals of the first are somewhat larger. The mass, or largest ' run,' 

 comes in May, and it is on the arrival of these that schools are first seen 

 coming in the inlets. 



"A noticeable peculiarity of the Hard-tail compared with some other 

 common migratory fishes is that the first schools do not stay about the 

 mouths of an inlet and along the beach weeks before coming inside as 

 those of the latter do, but continue their westward movement, without 

 seeming to stop to feed or play, until the time has come for a general 

 movement towards the bays. In this way they must be distributed along 

 the coast, with no unequal accumulation at any one point. When once 

 inside, the numerous schools break up into smaller ones of a dozen or two 

 fish, which are found in all parts of the bay during the summer. On their 

 arrival the larger fish contain spawn, and become quite dull, in July and 

 August : after this none are seen but the voung fish of about ten 



