A BITER AND BKOILEK. 117 



and a great blessing to the poor. Though generally caught 

 with a hand-line, many are taken in set-nets and fykes. With 

 light perch tackle, small hooks, and clam bait, it furnishes 

 sport to the disciple of rod and reel who does not fish for 

 trout, and has no fishing in the vicinity of New York until 

 the striped bass awaken to a feeding sense, which is usually 

 from the first to the twentieth of May, toward the head of 

 tide water. 



SECTION NINTH. 



THE BLUEFISH. 



Professor Mitchill has given to this fish, which affords 

 more sport with the troll than any other, the classical name 

 of Temnodon /Saltator, the first from temno, to cut in pieces, 

 probably indicating its sharp teeth ; and the last signifying 

 a pantomime dancer, doubtless with reference to its leaping 

 or skipping ; but, as if these names were not sufficiently de- 

 scriptive, he adds those of Scomber Plumbeus, or leaden mack- 

 erel. 



THE BLUEFISH. Temnodon Sallator. Mitchill. 



The bluefish is known along the coast of New England as 

 the horse mackerel, but that is a different fish, and grows to 

 the weight of a thousand pounds, and sometimes more, while 

 the bluefish seldom attains to twenty, though I have heard 

 of thirty-pounders. The color from the back to the almost 

 imperceptible lateral line is a leaden blue, whence it gradu- 

 ally lightens to a white belly. The first dorsal fin is spinous 

 very sharp and strong, while the second and anal are ap- 



