[11] HISTORY OF THE TILE-FISH. 247 



locality mentioned, is the home of an immense amount and variety of 

 sea life, among which occurs many tropical and subtropical species, 

 and here also is found the Tile-fish. A full discussion of this subject 

 from the pen of Prof. A. E. Verrill, of Yale College, will be found in a 

 following section of this paper. 



5. — USES AND UTILIZATION. 



That Lopholatilus is a good and wholesome food-fish has been set- 

 tled by comiietent authority ; though, curiously enough, those who 

 have partaken of it seem to disagree in regard to their estimate of its 

 quality and flavor. Many of these persons say without hesitation 

 that it is one of the finest, if not the best flavored, fish they have ever 

 eaten, while others consider it not especially good in this particular. 

 This species of fish, like some others, the Pompano, for instance, is said 

 to have a flavor peculiar to itself, which to some people is extremely 

 agreeable, while to others it is not so pleasant. From what is known 

 of the Tile-fish it is altogether probable that it would be best relished 

 in a fresh condition, and there is reason to suppose that in case it could 

 be taken in large quantities it might occupy a very prominent position 

 in the fish markets of our sea-coast towns. It might, perhaps, also be 

 a valuable article of food salted and preserved in brine, as are mack- 

 erel, but owing to the presence of fat in the flesh it has not been found 

 practical to cure it in the same manner as salted codfish are pre- 

 pared for market. In the summer of 1879, Oapt. George Friend, of 

 Gloucester, smoked some of the tile-fish which were taken by Captain 

 Kirby, and he, as well as several others who ate them, told me that they 

 were excellent when prepared in this manner, rivalling smoked halibut 

 in richness and flavor. On the other hand, Mr. William H. Wonson, 3d, 

 who also smoked the Tile-fish at Gloucester, does not speak so highly 

 of its fine qualities as a food-fish under the same conditions. He says 

 that while it is certainly very good and wholesome, as well as a de- 

 sirable article of food when smoked, it cannot compete with the halibut, 

 and is no better, in fact, than smoked haddock — the finnan baddies. 



Without doubt, the best way of utilizing the catch of the Tile-fish, 

 which possibly may hereafter be found in the localities where they were 

 formerly abundant (ofi" the coast between Kantucket and the Chesa- 

 peake), would be to ice the fish, and take them in a fresh condition to 

 the New York and Philadelphia markets, since these ports are in close 

 l^roximity to the fishing-grounds and could be easily reached while the 

 fish were in good order. Two or three days' work at most would suf- 

 fice, under ordinary circumstances, to secure a good fare, and one of 

 our swift-sailing fishing- vessels could make the voyage from the Tile- 

 fish grounds to either New York or Philadelphia in from ten to twenty 

 hours, unless the chances were specially unfavorable. Considering 

 that haddock and cod are now brought in a fresh condition to Boston 

 market from Le Have and Western Banks, a distance ranging from 300 



