To MAKE A SIMPLE CHOWDEK. 107 



and reel. Its feeding-grounds extend along the coast from 

 Delaware to Maine, wherever the sea-weed grows from beds 

 of mussels. This fish, like many herbivorous fishes of the 

 Orient, lays its eggs, and they are vivified on the weeds and 

 among the shells of the bottom. This process continues from 

 May until August, and the shoals remain on the banks until 

 most of their annual progeny leave the shell, when they all 

 resort to deeper waters to winter. 



It is a ravenous fish to bite, and seldom breaks water until 

 ready for the landing-net. Unlike the tautog, its mouth is 

 large and leathery, easy to hook, and tenacious to hold. Its 

 color is a bluish, and sometimes a greenish black, lightened a 

 trifle at the lower parts of the sides and belly. Its scales are 

 about a quarter of an inch in diameter, and its dorsal fins 

 while spinous are not very hard; the other fins are soft- 

 rayed, except the front ray of the anal. 



The sea bass is a boiler, but epicures regard it as superior 

 in a chowder. Chowder clubs use no fish but sea bass. Lit- 

 tle Neck clams improve the chowder, and, as I was for some 

 time secretary of the Latourette Chowder Club, and superin- 

 tended a combination of the gustatory elements, I will here 

 describe a simple chowder for anglers. A common iron pot, 

 of globular shape, is best to make a chowder in. Slice, as 

 thin as possible, enough salt pork to cover the bottom and 

 sides of the pot, to prevent the chowder from burning. Then 

 cover the pork with a layer of quartered onions, which have 

 been previously parboiled fifteen minutes; then cover the 

 onions with a layer of fish cut in two-inch-square pieces ; 

 then cover the fish with a layer of tomatoes; then a layer of 

 sea-biscuit ; then a layer of clams ; then a layer of onions, and 

 continue the layers in the rotation described until the pot is 

 filled. Season each layer with salt, and a mixture of red and 

 black peppers, together with such other condiments as de- 

 sired. Cover the pot, and let it stew or boil an hour ; then 

 pour upon it from a pint to a quart of Chateau Margaux, or 

 good Bordeaux claret, and let it simmer half an hour longer. 



