The Sbeepsbead 329 



of smell, in a word, to attract it ; while on the 

 second hook was a boiled oyster, strong and 

 tenacious, which served as the killing lure. The 

 fish is supposed to migrate, that is, it disappears 

 from the eyes of fishermen in its northern haunts 

 in winter, either moving south, out into deeper 

 water, or lying dormant. At Old Point Comfort, 

 Virginia, the sheepshead appeared in April, some- 

 times in March, disappearing in October. On 

 the Florida reef, at Garden Key, it could be 

 caught the year round, but was much more 

 frequent in summer. Georgia is apparently the 

 limit of the supposed migration ; from here south 

 it was found the year round, the fishing being 

 merely affected by the question of bait. The 

 sheepshead is common all along the coast of 

 Florida in winter, the numbers increasing the 

 farther south one goes. The Indian River region 

 down to Biscayne Bay is a favorite locality for 

 it. Mr. Stearns states that on the mainland 

 Gulf coast the fish is found during the entire 

 year, especially at St. Marks River, Cedar Keys, 

 Homosassa River, and to the south. On the 

 other hand, in the northern Gulf localities, as 

 Appalachicola, St. Andrews, Mobile, and Pensa- 

 cola, it is migratory, appearing in large numbers 



