456 EEPORT OP COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Whether they were exterminated by their enemy or driven bacli to the 

 ocean is not known, but not one of them could be caught on the coast 

 sixty hours after their arrival, and none have been seen since ; nor were 

 they ever known here before so late in the season, or of such large size, 

 or containing the fully-developed roe, or, in fact, any roe at all. Such 

 fish are entirely new to these waters. I am of the opinion that the 

 ocean is their spawning element, and being attacked while spawning by 

 immense numbers of very large bluefish, they flee before it till reaching 

 shallow water, then, if all were not killed, turn and escape to sea. These 

 fish were remarkable for uniformity in size, being over a foot long and 

 about one inch and a quarter thick through the back. A gentleman 

 remarked to me that he thought none of us had ever seen any full-grown 

 "oldwives" before. Ordinarily this fish is not marketable, but so anx- 

 ious were the people after these large ones that $14 per barrel was offered 

 for them salt. It seems to me that if spawning was the object of these 

 iish they would have remained longer than two days and a half, and 

 that some would have been caught in former years. From a critical ex- 

 amination and comparison of these with those common to the coast I 

 can find no difference except in size. Finally, as the spawn of these fish 

 appeared matured, 1 am of the opinion that they spawn in the ocean, 

 and in the month of November. (Since the visit of bluefish, rock and 

 perch, usually quite plenty, have entirely disappeared.) 



22. Sexes are mixed. 



23. No. 



28. Yes, in thousands, near the shore from Cape Henlopen to above 

 this river. It is a peculiarity of the young fish in a strong current to 

 spring from the water, causing persons unacquainted with the habit to 

 remark that " the water is alive with fish." So it is to a certain extent, 

 but it is difficult at such times to find any other kind of fish in it. 



29. I saw a great many of the large fish handled, but in no instance 

 did I see the spawn escape, nor do I think it ever occurs with this fish. 



30. I have no knowledge of the destruction of spawn, and do not 

 believe the parent fish capable of devouring either spawn or young fish, 

 but instead obtain their food from the mud. The worst enemy of young 

 fish, by all odds, is the sea-trout. From one to three may be found in 

 the stomach of almost every trout, and as trout remain here, more or 

 less plentiful, till September, an immense number of young fish are de- 

 stroyed. Bluefish is the next most destructive enemy. Other kinds of 

 fish trouble them very little compared with the two above named. 



31. I have never examined the roof of the mouth, but have frequently 

 noticed a little bug-like crab attached to the gills of medium sized fish. 

 During August and September it is common to see a slender red worm 

 or leech fast to the fishes' sides. The worm is largest at each end, is 

 about one inch and a half long, and bears some resemblance to the 

 angle-worm. As many as a dozen are found on some of the fish. AI- 



