THE TRIE FISHES. gg. 





also be taken into account. An allowance of ten fish per da 



fish is not excessive ; . . . this gives ten thousand millions of fish 



per day. And as the period of the stay of the blue-fish on tl 



land coast is at least one hundred and twenty days, we have in 



numbers twelve hundred million millions of fish devoured in the 



a season. Again, if each blue-fish averaging five pounds d 



destroys half its own weight of other fish per day (and I am i that 



the estimate of some witnesses of twice this weight is nol more nearly i 



rect), we will have, during the same period, a daily loss of t 



hundred million pounds, equal to three hundred thousand millions for the 



season." 



Still, this voracity, to a certain extent, has its compensations, for when 

 they reduce the number of the mackerel, the lobsters are uoticed to incn 

 in numbers. And besides, the blue-fish is most excellent eating, and 

 it is considered unfit for food in the southern states as far north 

 Washington. It is one of the gamiest of salt-water fishes, ami its - sapl 

 is regarded as among the finest sport of the angler. The usual \\a\ 

 fishing for it is by trolling from a sail-boat, but on the New Jer» 

 large numbers are taken from the shore by throwing the hook out as fai 

 possible into the surf, and then hauling it in. The hook musl be fastened 

 to a bit of wire, for the sharp teeth of the fish would qui< kly s< rd. 



The scad, moss-bunkers, pompanos, and the like must be dismissed w ith 

 the mere remark that they are good for food. The pilot-fish demands 

 words more on account of the interest surrounding its habits. It has been 

 known from the most ancient times, and in the times of yore it 

 thought to lead the sailor, and to announce the vicinity of land by its sudden 

 disappearance. It really does keep company with ships and large -hark-, 

 and strange to say, it is never attacked by the latter. This form is not i 

 common, and one quotation will give about all that is known oi it. 

 Meyen in his 'Voyage around the World' states that "the pilol fro 

 constantly in front of the shark ; we ourselves have seen three insti 

 in which the shark was led by the pilot, When the shark neared 

 ship, the pilot swam close to the snout, or near one of the pectora 

 the animal. Sometimes he darted rapidly forwards or sideward 

 looking for something, and constantly went hack again to the 

 When we threw overboard a piece of bacon fastened on a great 

 shark was about twenty paces from the ship. With the 

 lightning the 'pilot came up, smelt at the dainty, and instant!} 

 to the shark, swimming many times around his snout, and spla 

 to give him exact information as to the bacon. The -hark no* 

 put himself in motion, the pilot showing him the way, and in 



