HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 47 



tbe west ; when they strike Chatham Bay they swim in large schools, 

 coloring" the water and followed by numerous sea-birds. They are gov- 

 erned by the winds and weather about showing themselves ; in fine 

 moderate southerly weather they come up on top of the water. They 

 have been caught in our bay as early as the 15th of April, but gener- 

 ally not before the 1st of May. I never knew them to fail coming; they 

 generally follow the snores, making their way down the sound by Mou- 

 omoy Point, and those that get within the point, into the bay, follow the 

 shore to get out on their transit east. There is no difference in their 

 size in the spring, or a very slight one in some schools. In our bays, 

 ponds, and rivers they will head the tide ; they come inshore at high, 

 water on this coast and at low water keep off the flats and shoal water 

 into the channel or deep water, which is from three to seven fathoms 

 in our bay. I do not think it makes any ditfereuce to them about the 

 depth of water; they seem to have a natural instinct, and are just as 

 regular in their course and movements as a flock of sea-fowls; when one 

 is frightened they all start, if one turns all in the school turn, if one 

 goes down all in the school follow. One peculiar trait in them that 

 cannot be accounted for is, that on this coast, as well as on the eastern 

 shore, sometimes for hours there is not a fish to be seen, then all at once 

 they rise to the surface and it is literally full of schools, sometimes turn- 

 ing in a complete circle, at other times all headed one way, then all*at once 

 every one has disappeared. The fish pass here (the cape), bound south, 

 in the latter part of September and the first part of October, all moving 

 about tbe same time. Sometimes in- their transit south they find their 

 way into our ponds and creeks and get bothered and belated ; they 

 chill very quick in a cold night. Their route south is outside of Nan- 

 tucket Island." 



Ca2)e Cod Bay. 



80. Mr. David F. Loring, keeper of Highland light, at the northeastern- 

 most point on Cape Cod, states that pogies appear in that vicinity from 

 the last of April to the middle of May, making their appearance in large 

 schools on the surface. After passing by the cape in the spring, they 

 frequently throughout the summer make their appearance in Province- 

 town Harbor, the blueflsh ciiasing them. They are very seldom seen to 

 school on the ebb tide, but as soon as it turns flood they are seen on top 

 of the water. Mr. Loring states : " I have seen the surface of the water 

 literally covered with schools on the flood tide, while on the ebb there 

 is hardly a fish to be seen. I have seen them under water on the ebb 

 tide, two or three fathoms down, in schools, but they move very slowly 

 until the tide turns flood. Then they school up to the surface of the 

 water and are quicker in their movements. I have seen them in the fall 

 of the year when not schooling, but whether schooling or not they gen- 

 erally play on the surface of the water, except on the ebb tide." They 

 commence to leave the coast about the 1st of October, moving south by 



