CHAPTEE III. 



THE WEAKFISH. Cynoscion r eg all*. Gill. 



The fish we now treat of is by far the most beautiful specimen 

 of the inhabitants of the sea which the salt water angler has the 

 happy fortune of capturing. Though he cannot lay claim to the 

 game qualities of the striped bass, upon his scales shine each of the 

 seven cardinal hues. 



The general color of the weakfish, or as the Indians called him, the 

 squeteague, is blue, lightening on the under parts. On the back 

 and sides are spots arranged in a transverse order. The color of the 

 top of the head is greenish blue; the inside of the mouth yellow; 

 the gill covers lustrous silver; on the lower jaw there is a salmon 

 tint. The fins also are of different coloration; the dorsals are brown; 

 the pectorals a yellowish brown; the ventral and anal are orange. 

 On both sides of the head, upon the operculi, are two rudimentary 

 flattened points. 



The first dorsal fin is composed of eight rays, which might with 

 propriety be called spines. The second dorsal is composed of rays 

 much divided. The pectoral fins consist of seventeen branched 

 rays. The ventral fin of one ray and five imperfect rays, and the 

 caudal fin has seventeen rays. 



The weakfish gives amusement to more anglers of the metropolis 

 than any other fish on our lists. They run in great numbers during 

 the summer months and early fall. July, August and September 

 will be found to be the most successful months for weakfishing. 

 Into every shallow estuary and creek and tide-channel the weakfish 



