MII.I.KT IN THE GULF OP MEXICO. 455 



nor seen any prison who lias. In sucli places the bottom is grassy, sandy, and muddy, the water 

 varyim: with the tide from fn-sh to brackish, and of a temperature varying from 70 to 75 Fah- 

 renheit. It is supposed that the spawn is deposited upon the bottom. If they have been spawn- 

 ing at th<3 times when I have been present, I would say that the operation was a general one. 

 That they do spawn at or near these places is quite certain, for they go to them with spawn and 

 come au.iy without it, and the young fry first appear near the same places. Crabs and alligator- 

 ^ars are abundant in such places, and they doubtless destroy great quantities of the eggs and fry. 

 Ilet'oic spawning Mullet are very fat, but after the operation are extremely thin and almost worth- 

 less for food. Their colors also undergo some changes, at sea being bright blue on the back, which 

 deepens to a liyht brown in the bays and to a dark brown in fresh water. By these character- 

 istics it is not difficult to determine the locality where a lot of Mullet are caught. 



"Some persons of this coast agree that Mullet, or any other sea-fish, will not bear sudden 

 change from salt to fresh water, and to meet this argument I made an experiment with Mullet in 

 1S79. I took a dozen or more medium-sized Mullet from the warm shoal water of the bay and 

 placed them in cool, fresh spring water. They swain around very rapidly for about half an hour, 

 then sank to the bottom of the spring, where they remained, apparently comfortable, for twelve 

 hours. Before leaving the spring I returned them to their native waters, seemingly in as good 

 condition as when first caught. The bay water was at that time 77 Fahrenheit and the spring 

 water 71 Fahrenheit, a difference of G and a change from pure salt to pure fresh water. 



"After spawning, in October and November, the Mullet leave these bays in small schools, 

 going directly to deep water if the weather is stormy, and following the beach along if there is not 

 much surf. Those thai have been in the bays all the summer leave also at about this time, many 

 of them having spawned at the same time with the full 'run.' A few of these, having just reached 

 maturity, are found with spawn nearly all winter; also, some young stragglers. In February, 

 March, and April, young Mullet, varying from one to two and a half inches long, are found in 

 great abundance along the bay shores. Mullet grow to about eight inches in length the first year, 

 to twelve or thirteen inches the second year, when they are mature. The average size of adults is 

 twelve inches in length, weight about one and a quarter pounds. The largest I have seen meas- 

 ured twenty inches long and weighed four and a half pounds. It was caught at Charlotte Harbor, 

 Florida. Mullet of that size are extremely rare in West Florida. Those of South Florida are 

 much larger, as a rule, than those found farther north. There they are also far more abundant 

 than on the coasts of West Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. 



" In October, Charlotte Harbor, Sarasota and Paliuasola Bays, seem to be the headquarters of 

 all the Mullet of the Gulf. Tampa Bay, Auclote River, Homosassa River and vicinity, are also 

 favorite spawning places. During the fall they move in such immense schools that the noise of 

 their splashing in the water resembles distant thunder; and to persons living near the river or bay, 

 their noise, kept up day and night, becomes very annoying. These schools are followed by large 

 numbers of sharks, porpoises, and other destructive fishes, as well as pelicans and like sea-birds, 

 all of which eat of the Mullet until they can eat no more, and have to make way for fresh arrivals. 

 In spite of these enemies and those of the eggs and fry, Mullet are as plentiful as formerly, 

 according to the general opinion of the fishermen of the coast. 



"The Mullet is a bottom-feeding fish, prefers still, shoal water with grassy and sandy bottom. 

 It swims along the bottom, head down, now and then taking a mouthful of earth, which is 

 partially culled over in the mouth, the microscopic particles of animal matter or vegetable matter 

 retained, and the refuse expelled. When one fish finds a spot rich in their desired food, its 

 companions immediately flock around in a manner that reminds one of barn yard fowls feeding 

 from one dish. The Mullet eats very little compared with other fish of ita size. It preys on no 



