HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 467 



rently, with a continual flipping motion with the tail above water; this 

 attracts thousands of birds. 



22. They generally come on the beach on flood and drop off on ebb 

 tide ; they also run into inlets on the flood. 



23. Spawn is sometimes seen when the fish are handled to any great 

 extent. 



24. The spawn is also seen around set-nets, when the fish force them- 

 selves through the meshes. 



25. The fish are auadromous ; they run up the fresh-water rivers for 

 the purpose of spawning, and to ''suck" (eat) the scum generally 

 brought down by freshets. 



26. They sometimes make several trips up the rivers, and returns 

 in the sound, before going up to spawn ; this is attributed to the num- 

 ber of freshets during a season. Some seasons they make no stay in 

 the sounds, but go right up the rivers on their first arrival, and con- 

 tinue these visits until December. 



27. See answer to question 26. 



28. There is no difference in this respect as to sex or age known to 

 me. 



29. The young fish are generally mixed up with the old ones when in 

 large bodies or schools ; but, as a general rule, the young are seen along 

 the shores of rivers and sounds. 



30. The favorite localities of these fish are varied as in other cases. 

 In moderate weather they float high, in fact upon the very surface of 

 the water, and feed upon the scum or mud which are afloat. They 

 then select some place near a lead or tide way, but often shelter them- 

 selves behind a shoal or breaker where the current eddies ; but in windy 

 and rough weather they are constantly running. 



31. They generally prefer the deepest water to school, as stated in 

 answer 21. 



32. There has been no difference observed, by me at least, as to the 

 favorite temperature of the water, but they are more abundant when 

 inside the sound in thick, milky-colored water. 



33. These fish are not seen in schools after they are done spawning ; 

 but the general opinion is they are in schools when leaving the sounds 

 and rivers, judging from the quantity taken or caught in set nets of a 

 night. They are not seen at all in moderate weather, as described in 

 answer 21. 



31. They have no special friends ; but the porpoise, the shark, the 

 dogfish, and the taylor are special enemies of the old, and the crab, the 

 eel, the perch, trout, and several other species offish, of the young fish. 



35. The fiitback do not prey upon or eat any other species of fish 

 during their stay in this section. 



36. They suffer to a great extent from the attacks of other fish, but 

 the amount is not exactly known. I think, however, I w^ould be per- 

 fectly safe in saying that at least half are destroyed. 



