HABITS OF THE SMELT. 177 



many thousands, by bushel baskets-full at a time, and have 

 never seen a fish exceeding seven or eight inches in length 

 taken from the Passaic, the general run not exceeding six ; 

 whereas it is notorious that the American Smelt is rarely taken 

 less than ten or eleven, and thence upward to twelve and fifteen 

 inches. 



Yarrel states of the European Smelt, that they are occa- 

 sionally seen ten and eleven inches long, but that this is an 

 unusually large size. 



He also describes their food, during their residence in fresh 

 water, as consisting of small fish, with crustaceous and testa- 

 ceous animals. In the Tay they are said to feed principally 

 upon the shrimp ; and I have heard it asserted by persons of 

 integrity, that they have been caught with the same bait near 

 Belleville, on the Passaic. 



It was my intention to have instituted a full examination 

 and comparison of these — which I am perfectly satisfied will 

 prove to be two distinct species — this last spring : but, unfortu- 

 nately, I was necessarily absent from home during the very few 

 days of this season in which they were taken in the Passaic, 

 and lost the opportunity of doing so. The run of them is 

 becoming less and less numerous every successive season, and 

 it is to be apprehended that ere long they will cease to visit 

 us at all. 



I will remark here that the habit of the European Smelt in 

 England is very capricious in regard to the rivers which he 

 honours with his presence. It is said that in England the 

 Smelt is never taken between Dover and Land^s End ; on the 

 eastern side of the island it is taken from the Thames and 



