﻿100 
  

  

  BaUimore, 
  Januarij 
  Ist, 
  1878. 
  

   Maj. 
  T. 
  B. 
  Fergusox, 
  

  

  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  of 
  Maryland 
  : 
  

   Dear 
  Sir 
  : 
  

  

  During 
  my 
  last 
  visit 
  to 
  the 
  sea-coast 
  of 
  Worcester 
  county, 
  

   Md 
  , 
  to 
  obtain 
  specimens 
  of 
  fish 
  for 
  the 
  Maryland 
  Academy 
  

   of 
  Sciences 
  and 
  the 
  Museum 
  of 
  Druid 
  Hill 
  Park, 
  I 
  had 
  the 
  

   pleasure 
  to 
  observe 
  a 
  ''run" 
  of 
  Blue-fish 
  (Pomatomus 
  sal- 
  

   ta'rix). 
  Those 
  that 
  go 
  to 
  the 
  sea-side 
  towards 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   October 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  shooting 
  the 
  numerous 
  different 
  

   kinds 
  of 
  water-fowls, 
  have 
  probably 
  seen 
  this 
  phenomenon, 
  

   and 
  will 
  jDrouounce 
  it 
  a 
  sight 
  well 
  worth 
  seeing, 
  and 
  one 
  

   not 
  easily 
  forgotten 
  by 
  the 
  lover 
  of 
  nature. 
  

  

  Towards 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  October 
  the 
  fishermen 
  have 
  en- 
  

   gaged 
  an 
  extra 
  crew, 
  and 
  have 
  all 
  the 
  seines 
  ready 
  to 
  be 
  

   used 
  on 
  short 
  notice. 
  The 
  northern 
  horizon 
  is 
  closely 
  

   watched 
  for 
  indications 
  of 
  this 
  precious 
  fish 
  ; 
  one, 
  and 
  the 
  

   most 
  noticeable, 
  of 
  wliieh 
  is 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  large 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  the 
  different 
  kinds 
  of 
  gulls 
  that 
  hover 
  over 
  the 
  fish, 
  mov- 
  

   ing 
  southward. 
  Instead 
  of 
  following 
  their 
  usual 
  mode 
  of 
  

   flight, 
  the 
  sea-gulls 
  gather 
  in 
  compact 
  masses 
  over 
  the 
  fish, 
  

   darting 
  down 
  continuously 
  and 
  striking 
  at 
  their 
  prey. 
  About 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  month 
  the 
  seines 
  are 
  thrown 
  out, 
  to 
  make 
  

   a 
  trial 
  for 
  Blue-fish 
  ; 
  but 
  only 
  the 
  smaller 
  sizes, 
  varying 
  

   from 
  eight 
  to 
  twolvo 
  inches, 
  are 
  caught. 
  They 
  are 
  fish 
  that 
  

   had 
  remained 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  through 
  the 
  summer. 
  

   At 
  last, 
  the 
  desired 
  moment 
  arrives. 
  Far 
  away 
  northward 
  

   the 
  ocean 
  has 
  changed 
  its 
  usual 
  aspect, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  

   large 
  shoals 
  of 
  fish 
  arc 
  moving 
  towards 
  the 
  station. 
  Every 
  

   one 
  rushes 
  to 
  the 
  boat, 
  and 
  the 
  long 
  seines 
  are 
  soon 
  in 
  posi- 
  

   tion. 
  The 
  fish 
  come 
  nearer 
  and 
  nearer, 
  much 
  too 
  slowly, 
  

   however, 
  for 
  the 
  old 
  fishermen 
  yonder, 
  whom 
  old 
  age 
  has 
  

   ]irevcntod 
  from 
  entering 
  the 
  boat. 
  lie 
  looks 
  at 
  the 
  moving 
  

   shoals 
  in 
  a 
  rather 
  suspicious 
  manner 
  ; 
  the 
  excitement 
  his 
  

   face 
  showed 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  moments 
  ago 
  gradually 
  disappears 
  ; 
  

   an 
  expression 
  of 
  extreme 
  disgust 
  only 
  too 
  plainly 
  takes 
  its 
  

   place, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  vigorous 
  kick 
  in 
  the 
  yielding 
  sand, 
  he 
  

  

  