HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 473 



23. The water is colored to some extent ; it being already of a milky 

 color, it is hard to ascertain; but it is colored some by the milt of the 

 male. 



24. I do not know the exact temperature. 



25. The eggs are laid on the margin of the river, generally in from G 

 inches to 2 feet depth of water. 



2C. The eggs float about the river; some of them are even seen to 

 drift ashore, when the water falls away, leaving them dry ; this destroys 

 them. 



28. The young are found is great abundance iu the rivers, sounds, and 

 creeks. 



29. Fishermen on the rivers say that the si)awu runs from the fish when 

 handled after having been iu fresh water two to three days ; but it never 

 happens while they are in salt water. 



31. Lampreys are sometimes found attached to the gills, and a kind 

 of a bug iu the roof of the mouth ; but I never heard of crabs being 

 attached to them. 



32. They must suffer to a great extent from the attacks of the bluefish, 

 shark, and porpoise. I noticed that each bluefish caught on the coast 

 this season had from one to three fatbacks in the stomach, showing that 

 many thousands, and I might say millions, are destroyed by the bluefish 

 alone. 



33. I have never known of any epidemic among the fatback. 



34. Drag-nets at the sounds, and set-nets at the rivers. These are 

 made of gill-twine, No. 25 or 30, and cotton warp spun into cord. 



35. The drag-net is from 75 to 100 yards long, having a mesh of from 

 1| to 2 inches, and from 25 to 35 meshes deep. The lower or lead line 

 is kept on the bottom by sinkers made of lead for the purpose ; and the 

 upper or cork line is kept on the surface of the water by floats made of 

 dry gum-root made for the purpose. The set-net is made of gill twine, 

 of from 35 to 45 yards long, and from 18 to 20 meshes deep, the mesh 

 being from li to 2 inches. A coarse selvage made of cotton twine, 

 dipped iu tar and then dragged or rolled in coarse pebbly sand, answers 

 the purpose of lead sinkers. A cork line buoyed with gum-root corks 

 keeps the net oft the bottom. These are called fly-tale nets. They are 

 placed in the water on the feeding ground iu the evening, and allowed 

 to remain all night. 



36. Canoes (not tonnaged) are used ; some of them are only IG feet 

 long by 31 feet wide, while others are 30 by 7. 



37. Two men are sufficient to manage the small canoe, and three the 

 larger ones. 



38. Both day and night flowing water is preferred. 



39. They are taken more plentifully in the flood-tide. 



40. Moderate weather is preferred for fishing with the drag-net, and 

 high winds for the set-net ; as they are feedine: in moderate and running 

 in windy weather. 



