326 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



SECTION THIRD. 



NO. 1. THE MOSSBUNKER OR MENHADEN. 



On salt-sea borders, sound, and bay, 

 The twinkling spring-time sunbeams play, 

 And white with froth the billows shine 

 Where the mossbunkers lash the brine. 

 Above them flocks of sea-gulls swing, 

 Beneath the hungry bluefish spring, 

 And, deadlier still, the surfmen strain 

 The oars, and mesh them with the seine. 



The menhaden is a white fish, with large scales of metallic 

 lustre. It disports, during spring, summer, and autumn, off 

 the coast and in the estuaries from Delaware to the Bay of 

 Passamaquoddy. It is from nine to twelve inches long, and 

 in shape resembles a diminutive shad, though not so wide or 

 thin for its length. It is a very oily fish, very bony, and 

 therefore never eaten except by fishermen, who frequently 

 salt it for winter use. Its flavor is like that of the shad. 



The principal estimate of value put upon the menhaden is 

 for its quality as the best bait for attracting mackerel, striped 

 bass, bluefish, and even such of the Gadidce as the haddock, 

 and of the Crustacea as the lobster. It is either ground or 

 chopped fine and cast upon the water to attract mackerel and 

 other food-fishes to the hook, while it is the best bait for lob- 

 ster-pots. The annual diminution in the numbers of mackerel 

 taken within the past five years as shown by the statistics 

 is justly attributable to the increase of the manufacture of 

 menhaden oil. About five years since some person conceived 

 the brilliant idea of making oil from menhaden by grinding 

 them to a pulp, putting them under a press, and squeezing 

 out the oil. He formed a company, which erected buildings, 

 introduced machinery, and bought sail-boats and nets. For 

 a couple of years, while menhaden were so abundant as to be 

 used for manure in some places along the coast, the menhaden 

 oil companies made generous dividends; but no sooner did 

 this fact become known among enterprising geniuses than 



