150 FISHES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 



go North iu summer, such as the sheepshead, biuefish, kinf^fish" or 

 whiting, blackfish, and Lafayette, or spot^ill abundant, but of small 

 size. Sheepshead, from half a pound to six pounds, can be taken in 

 numbers which would astonish a New York angler — say from twenty 

 to fifty in a tide, and they afford good sport on a rod with clams or 

 crabs for bait. Bluefish from two ounces to two pounds in weight 

 are sometime* abundant, the same ferocious, snapping, greedy fish 

 which on the Northern coast affords so much sport to the fisherman, 

 and which chops up such multitudes of small fish. Blackfish seldom 

 go over a pound, but are abundant, and " excellent meat," as father 

 Walton says. Whiting run from three ounces to a pound, and af- 

 ford fine sport with light tackle, being a very strong and active fish. 

 The Lafayette, or sjjot, is abundant but small — average four ounces. 

 All this seems to show that these species are hatched in Southern 

 waters ; and go North in summer to feed and grow. 



*In addition to these valuable food and game fishes, we encounter 

 others which might be called the obstructive, or dangerous species — • 

 those which destroy our tackle and give us trouble and annoyance. 

 Such are the sharks, the rays, the sawfishes and the congers. • 



