﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  211 
  

  

  enemies. 
  The 
  presence 
  of 
  food 
  is 
  frequently 
  shown 
  by 
  flocks 
  of 
  birds, 
  

   especially 
  phalaropes, 
  which 
  are 
  called 
  " 
  mackerel 
  geese." 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  food 
  objects 
  of 
  the 
  mackerel 
  are 
  small 
  crustaceans; 
  

   copepods 
  predominate, 
  but 
  shrimps 
  of 
  various 
  kinds, 
  young 
  crabs, 
  etc., 
  

   are 
  also 
  important. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  surface-swimming 
  copepods, 
  known 
  

   as 
  "red 
  feed," 
  "cayenne," 
  etc., 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  favorite 
  food; 
  when 
  mackerel 
  

   have 
  been 
  feeding 
  freely 
  on 
  it, 
  they 
  spoil 
  very 
  quickly 
  after 
  being 
  

   caught, 
  owing 
  to 
  tbeir 
  sides 
  rotting 
  or 
  "burning." 
  Fish 
  constitute 
  a 
  

   rather 
  imi^ortant 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  mackerel's 
  diet; 
  herring, 
  anchovy, 
  sand 
  

   launce, 
  silversides, 
  menhaden, 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  small 
  fishes 
  are 
  eaten. 
  

  

  Among 
  fishes, 
  sharks 
  are, 
  perhaps, 
  the 
  most 
  destructive 
  enemies; 
  

   mackerel 
  sharks 
  and 
  dogfish 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  prey 
  on 
  the 
  mackerel, 
  

   driving 
  and 
  scattering 
  the 
  schools. 
  Other 
  fish 
  enemies 
  are 
  bluefish 
  

   and 
  cod. 
  Porpoises 
  and 
  whales 
  are 
  often 
  seen 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  mackerel 
  

   schools. 
  Large 
  squids 
  do 
  great 
  damage 
  to 
  small 
  mackerel. 
  Among 
  

   birds, 
  the 
  gannet 
  is 
  especially 
  destructive. 
  

  

  THE 
  MACKEREL 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  The 
  mackerel 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  and 
  most 
  valuable 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  the 
  

   Atlantic 
  Ocean. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  important 
  fisheries 
  in 
  Norway, 
  

   Ireland, 
  and 
  Great 
  Britain, 
  and 
  is 
  extensively 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  

   States 
  and 
  the 
  British 
  provinces 
  of 
  North 
  America. 
  The 
  fishery 
  is 
  

   prosecuted 
  with 
  vessels 
  using 
  purse 
  seines, 
  gill 
  nets, 
  and 
  lines, 
  much 
  

   the 
  largest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  being 
  taken 
  in 
  seines. 
  In 
  the 
  boat 
  fishery, 
  

   lines 
  and 
  nets 
  are 
  employed. 
  Stationary 
  appliances, 
  such 
  as 
  pound 
  nets, 
  

   trap 
  nets, 
  and 
  weirs, 
  also 
  secnre 
  considerable 
  quantities 
  of 
  mackerel. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  the 
  vessel 
  fishery 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  chiefly 
  from 
  

   Gloucester, 
  Mass. 
  The 
  vessels 
  sail 
  south 
  in 
  early 
  spring 
  and 
  fiill 
  in 
  

   with 
  the 
  fish 
  when 
  they 
  first 
  appear 
  off 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  Southern 
  and 
  

   Middle 
  States, 
  the 
  catch 
  being 
  landed 
  fresh 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  Pliiladel- 
  

   phia. 
  The 
  fleet 
  next 
  seeks 
  the 
  fish 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  shore 
  of 
  Nova 
  

   Scotia 
  and 
  follows 
  the 
  school 
  north 
  to 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  St. 
  Lawrence. 
  

   During 
  the 
  summer 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  enter 
  the 
  gulf, 
  but 
  most 
  of 
  

   them 
  cruise 
  on 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  shore, 
  where 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  fall 
  fishing 
  

   is 
  also 
  done. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  fishing 
  vessels 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   are 
  engaged 
  in 
  this 
  fishery. 
  In 
  recent 
  years 
  the 
  fleet 
  has 
  numbered 
  

   only 
  150 
  to 
  225 
  sail, 
  but 
  formerly 
  nearly 
  1,000 
  vessels 
  were 
  at 
  times 
  

   employed 
  in 
  this 
  branch. 
  

  

  The 
  shore 
  and 
  boat 
  fishing 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  from 
  New 
  Jersey 
  to 
  Maine. 
  

   The 
  fish 
  thus 
  caught 
  are 
  as 
  .a 
  rule 
  sold 
  in 
  a 
  fresh 
  condition. 
  

  

  The 
  fishery 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  productive 
  than 
  formerly, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  

   past 
  ten 
  years 
  has 
  not 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  been 
  profitable, 
  although 
  each 
  year 
  a 
  

   few 
  vessels 
  make 
  good 
  catches 
  and 
  yield 
  very 
  satisfactory 
  returns, 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  high 
  price 
  of 
  fish. 
  The 
  local 
  fishing 
  does 
  not 
  supply 
  the 
  

   home 
  demand, 
  and 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  fresh 
  and 
  salt 
  mackerel 
  are 
  

   anuuaMy 
  imported 
  from 
  Norway, 
  Ireland, 
  and 
  the 
  British 
  provinces. 
  

  

  