Nichols. — Seldom Marketed Salt-water Fishes 279 



men about six inches long, taken this summer from the 

 muddy waters of Moriches Bay, proved to be -very sweet 

 and delicious fried. Full grown ones would probably be 

 better. The turbot, which is a large European relative of 

 this species, also has a somewhat translucent flesh. 



The U. S. Bureau of Fisheries has recently carefully 

 investigated the food properties of the dogfish and found 

 this a good food fish. My only experience with its giant 

 relative, the shark, is different. A number of years ago, at 

 sea in a sailing ship, from time to time in calm, warm 

 weather, sharks would follow the ship. We caught one of 

 them eight or ten feet long, the species of which unfortu- 

 nately was not determined. Its flesh was white and beauti- 

 ful to look upon but decidedly tough and unpalatable. Pro- 

 fessor Dean tells me, however, that young sharks are com- 

 monly eaten abroad (Italy, Spain, and especially in Japan). 

 In the last named country a blanc-mange-like jelly is made 

 of the meat of sharks and is pronounced delicious by trav- 

 elers. Shark fins are prized by the Chinese. 



The skate (Raja) of which there are several species 

 abundant on both our coasts, seems to have been practically 

 unused for food in America until very recently. The New 

 York fish dealers with whom I have spoken are agreed that 

 until three or four years ago very little was sold here. 

 More and more is now being sold, particularly to the 

 Italians. At Blackford's Market (Blackford is perhaps the 

 largest Fulton Market fish dealer) a buyer estimated for me 

 that about 200 pounds of skate a day is now sold in the 

 New York market throughout the year. This comes to 

 about 72,000 pounds a year, and from the statements of 

 other dealers is, I think, a very conservative estimate. Re- 

 tailers on the upper west side whose trade is of the better 

 class say they seldom handle it; two fish dealers in an 

 Italian quarter on 7th Avenue near 30th Street, sold 50 to 

 100 pounds a week, one of the fish dealers in the Washing- 

 ton Market claimed to sell 60 pounds a day. Only the pec- 



