21 



artificial propagation. The .spawning season commencing 

 and ending somewhat earlier than that of the shad. Fish- 

 ing with the herring net shoukl he discontinued earlier in the 

 season. 



The Kock, or Striped Bass — (Boccus Lineatus.) 



The aggregate number taken during the year, the high 

 l^rice which it commands in our markets as well as its game 

 qualities, and the excellent flavor of its firm flesh, places this 

 among the most imjjortant of our native food fishes. We 

 have made several efforts to obtain reliable statistics of the 

 number of pounds annually j^roduced in the Chesapeake Bay 

 and its tributaries, for we believe that the value of this fish, 

 and the amount of its contribution to the food resoiirces of our 

 State is much underestimated. Though true that it is not at 

 any time taken in such great numbers as the shad and her- 

 ring, yet its season extending through a greater portion of 

 the year, the aggregate yield makes it of scarcely less im- 

 portance tlian these fishes. 



They are migatory to some extent in their habits, but it 

 does not appear that they are impelled by the same necessity, 

 for fresh water, for the purpose of reproduction, which causes 

 the above mentioned fish to visit our rivers yearl}'. We are 

 inclined to believe that their appearance is rather in search 

 of food. They are taken of great size in the shad and her- 

 ring seines, and are called '•rollers" by the fishermen who 

 make war upon them, as they believe that they consume a 

 great many shad and herring. We doubt very much the 

 wisdom of this warfare, for even if the Rock was no value as 

 food, its predatory instincts must cause it to play an import- 

 ant part. Following the schools of shad and herring, they 

 consume the less vigorous which become their easiest prey, 

 leaving the strong and most vigorous to perpetuate their own 

 race. There seems to be a peculiar need for this weeding out 

 by predatory fish, as the shad and herring are not combative 

 as many other species with whom the favors of the female are 

 often the prices of hard fought battles. In visiting the sev- 

 eral fishing shores we examined hundreds of Rock, but could 

 not find a single ripe female, and instructions were given 

 Messrs. Chase and Kent to observe this fish closely. They 

 however met with no better success. We found many ripe 



