CLUPEA. 159 



From July to the last of August, the borders 

 of the sea swarm with them. Lynn Bay, partic- 

 ularly, is said to be a favorite place of their resort. 



The usual length of the menhaden, is from ten 

 to fourteen inches ; gill cover large ; one black- 

 ish spot on the neck, quite near the operculum ; 

 tail forked ; belly serrated ; back arched ; mouth 

 and tongue destitute of teeth ; color dusky, hav- 

 ing a slight shade of green ; gill membrane eight 

 rayed.* 



As before remarked, the menhaden, amongst 

 the older class of fishermen, towards New Hamp- 



* On a fine sunny sabbath, in 1831, a servant picked up a 

 very large pauhagan, in a gravel walk, at the top of a hill, 

 near the author's house, which was actively thrashing about 

 the small stones with its tail. He brought it into the kitchen 

 — but in the course of his own examination, however, before 

 he arrived, it appeared to be dead. It was severely wounded 

 in the side, as though it had been stabbed through and through 

 with a bodkin. Being put in a pan of water, to be washed, 

 it so happened that our attention was called another way, 

 for an hour or two, but to the great surprise of the house, the 

 fish was swimming about as well as the dimensions of the ves- 

 sel would allow. The same fish is now in our collection. In 

 the course of an hour, the servant discovered that a fish-hawk 

 was perched on a signal staff over the very spot where he 

 picked it up, with another in its talons. This explained the 

 mystery of its visit on dry land. Probably the hawk inadver- 

 tently dropped it, only a few moments after it was caught. 

 They are commonly used for bait in the inshore cod-fishery 

 and not for food, when fresh. 



