FISHES OP NEW YORK 



213 



of the 30 or more additional appellations of this well known 

 fish, the reader is referred to the complete history of the Ameri- 

 can menhaden by Dr G. Brown Goode. 



The menhaden comes into Gravesend bay in May and through 

 the summer. Occasional individuals are seen there in the fall 

 as late as November. The fish can be kept alive in the winter 

 in captivity, provided the water temperature does not fall below 

 50 F. It makes its appearance on the shores of Long Island 

 about the beginning of June, sometimes in May, and remains till 

 the cold season sets in. A few specimens were taken September 

 22 in Blue Point cove in 1884, and Oct. 1, 1890, many thousands 

 were paught in a trap at Islip; these were large and very fat 

 fish. The use of the menhaden as a bait fish is too well known 

 to need special mention. In " chumming " for bluefish near 

 Fire island inlet this is the favorite bait. In 1898 the young 

 w^ere obtained at Duncan's creek, Howell's point and Nichols's 

 point August 29. Adults were sent from Islip by W. F. Clark 



August 18. 



In the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass., according to Dr Smith, 

 menhaden arrive in schools about May 20, but scattered fish are 

 taken in March with alewives; they remain till December 1, some- 

 times till December 20, but are most abundant in June. When the 

 schools first arrive, the reproductive organs of many of the fish 

 are in an advanced stage of development, but after July 1 none 

 with large ovaries are found. Late in fall the fish again have 

 well developed roes. The smallest fish are about an inch long; 

 these are found in little schools about the shores and wharves 

 as early as July 15. The young are abundant throughout sum- 

 mer and fall. The average length of adults is 13 or 14 inches; 

 one fish 18 inches long was caught at Woods Hole in 1876. 



Family engraxji-ididae 



Anchovies 

 Genus stolepiiokis Lac^pMe 



Body oblong, compressed, covered with rather large, thin, 

 deciduous scales; belly rouuded, or weakly compressed; snout 

 <:onical, compressed, projecting beyond the very large mouth; 



