HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 457 



thougb the worm seems as frail as a strand of blood, it is strong enough 

 not to break when its head is pulled away from the fish. 



32. The larger fish appear to suffer most from bluefish, although por- 

 poise, shark, and the fish-hawk destroy a great many. 



33. None that I am aware of. 



34. Mostly in haul-seines, many in gill-seines, but in neither seine is 

 menhaden the object. 



35. Seines are from 15 to 100 fathoms long, from 6 to 9 feet deep, and 

 have 1-inch meshes. 



36. None. Four-oared boats are generally employed to lay out and 

 draw the seine ashore. 



37. From eight to ten men are necessary to manage a boat and large 

 seine. 



38. Flood and high tide ; sometimes on the ebb, but never at low 

 water. 



39. Flood and high water are the most favorable times. 



40. The fish usually works against the wind if there is much of it. 

 42. Some leave the fish on shore, others feed them to hogs, or compost 



them to enrich their land. 



58. I am confident, from observation, that catching large numbers of 

 any kind of fish in the spawning season will diminish them, but owing 

 to this fish not spawning on this coast, I regard it next to impossible to 

 decrease their numbers by any method of capture known to fishermen. 



5S. Statement of Benjamin Tice, Maurice River Light, January 11, 1875. 



1. Known by the name of mossbunker or aid wives. 



2. They are more abundant than any other kind. 



3. Increased in numbers, I believe. 



5. No establishment in this vicinity. 



6. They come on early in the spring, and are thickest in August. 



7. They swim high and make a ripple on the water. 



16. Young fish are seen in the months of August and September. 



17. Leave the coast late in the fall and by degrees. 

 31. 1 have seen worms attached to the outside. 



32. They suffer from the attacks of sharks, porpoises, &c. 



59. Statement of Joseph B.Benson, Bombay HooTc, Bel., January 18, 1875. 



1. Mossbunker, old-wives, bug-fish, and green tails. 



2. They are more plentiful than any other fish during July and August. 



3. It has not. 



4. There is no establishment on the west side of the bay. 



5. It does not. 



