ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



931 



is one hundred, individual cases ranging from 

 eight3'-iive to one hundred and thirty-four. Dr. 

 Smith suggests that two broods are produced in 

 a season, since the young are known to make 

 their appearance both in spring and late summer. 

 Tlie second brood is much smaller in number, 

 consisting of about two dozen, ranging, in the 

 fish examined b}' him, from eighteen to thirty. 



The smaller fresh-water live-bearing fishes 

 are easily kept and reproduce readily in cap- 

 tivity. They are, therefore, nuich in demand by 

 fish fanciers and are among the most interesting 

 of the many species of aquarium fishes. 



A FASTIDIOUS SPIDER-CRAB 



y^LL young spider-crabs decorate the cara- 

 n\ pace and legs in the attempt to render 

 themselves less conspicuous in their en- 

 vironment (see the Bulletin for November, 

 1911). The specimen figured in the aceompanv'- 

 ing cut exhibited rather unusual taste in the 

 matter of color as well as in the selection of 

 material. Wlien brought into the Aquarium it 

 was covered with scraps of seaweed. It was 

 placed in a tank in which there were few weeds, 

 but a great many small, orange-colored ane- 

 mones {Sagariia leucolcna) attaclied to peb- 

 bles. Apparently perceiving that algae were no 

 longer in style, the crab in a short time dis- 

 carded them and proceeded to adorn himself 

 with tlie anemones. The polyjjs seemed as well 

 contented on tlie crab as they did on the stones, 

 expanding and feeding as well as though it were 

 their natural habitat. At the time the photo- 

 graph was made, the crab, which was a trifle 

 over an inch long, was carrying eleven anemones 

 about with him. 



THE SVVORDFISHING INDUSTRY 



/iCCORDING to the Fishing Gasette the 

 /^ swordfishing has been better the past 

 summer than for many years. At Boston, 

 where nearly all of the swordfish catch is landed 

 and marketed, seven hundred and seven were 

 brought in in one day, and on one other day six 

 hundred and eighty-four of these big fishes 

 were landed at T Wharf, the fishing dock. One 

 seliooner brought in two hundred and two at one 

 time. This is a profitable business when one 

 considers that the average weight of the fish is 

 about two hundred pounds, and that they bring 

 usually from eight to eleven cents a pound. 

 The total quantity landed at Boston during the 

 month of July, 1912, was 1,01 LSfiO pounds, 

 valued at $93,370, or a little over nine cents a 

 pound. 



SPIDER-CRAB 



The swordfish is the largest fish, except the 

 great tuna, regularly taken for market. Indi- 

 viduals weighing over four hundred pounds are 

 rarely taken, but there is a record of one weigh- 

 ing seven hundred and fifty poimds. 



Thej' are occasionally taken on trawl lines, 

 but tlie harpoon is the usual means of capture. 

 They usually swim near the surface, above 

 which the dorsal fin often projects. A sailor at 

 the masthead keeps watch for these signs, and 

 when a fish is sighted the fishing vessel ap- 

 proaches until the harpooner on the "pulpit," a 

 small framework at the end of the bowsprit, 

 is within striking distance. To the head of the 

 harpoon is fastened a light rope with a keg 

 made fast to the end to serve as a float. 



After the fish has tired himself out in his 

 struggles to escape from the harpoon and the 

 float, the fisherman approaches in a dorj- and 

 finishes him with a lance. Not infrequently, 

 Iiowever, the fish retaliates by attacking the 

 boat with his sword. The strength of the in- 

 furiated fish is such that the sword will easily 

 l)ierce the bottom of a skill', or even of a 

 seliooner, for that matter, as the records abun- 

 dantly testily. I recall seeing a skiff which had 

 lieen struck in such a manner that the sword 

 went completely through the boat, piercing botli 

 sides. 



The favorite fishing grounds are tlie off-shore 

 waters from Block Island to Cape Cod and 

 northward, and it is no uncommon sight on pass- 

 ing the region about No INIan's Land, ofl' Mar- 

 tha's Vineyard, or the Nantucket Shoals, to see 

 numbers of small fishing vessels, equipped for 

 swordfishing, cruising about with a man at the 

 masthead on the lookout for swordfish. The 

 small schooners and sloops which engage in 

 other fishing at other seasons of the year gener- 

 ally carry swordfish tackle, and often when on 

 other business are ready for a try at the big fish. 



