﻿110 
  

  

  turns 
  around, 
  expressing 
  himself 
  with 
  an 
  emphasis 
  and 
  

   clearness 
  more 
  forcible 
  than 
  polite: 
  ^^ 
  Old 
  Wifes.'' 
  Yes, 
  

   those 
  living 
  masses 
  of 
  fishes 
  are 
  nothing 
  but 
  the 
  Ale-wifes 
  

   {Dorosoma 
  cepedianum). 
  Though 
  of 
  considerable 
  value 
  on 
  

   account 
  of 
  their 
  large 
  size, 
  they 
  are 
  certainly 
  not 
  the 
  long- 
  

   expected 
  game, 
  and 
  are, 
  therefore, 
  not 
  molested. 
  These 
  so- 
  

   called 
  "Eastern 
  Ale-wifee/' 
  thus 
  named 
  because 
  they 
  

   attained 
  their 
  full 
  growth 
  along 
  the 
  coasts 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Eng- 
  

   land 
  States, 
  are 
  now 
  migrating 
  southwards, 
  and 
  are 
  the 
  

   sure 
  fore-runner 
  of 
  the 
  Blue-fish. 
  At 
  last 
  they 
  come 
  ; 
  the 
  

   whole 
  water 
  is 
  boiling 
  and 
  foaming 
  with 
  thera, 
  as 
  they 
  ad- 
  

   vance. 
  Sea-troutSj 
  Old-wifes, 
  and 
  other 
  fish, 
  in 
  their 
  anx- 
  

   iety 
  to 
  escape 
  their 
  merciless 
  foes, 
  run 
  entirely 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  

   water, 
  covering 
  the 
  whole 
  beach 
  with 
  their 
  shining 
  and 
  

   quivering 
  bodies. 
  Unable 
  to 
  reach 
  their 
  native 
  element 
  

   again, 
  they 
  die 
  in 
  uncounted 
  numbers 
  — 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  mutilated 
  by 
  their 
  cruel 
  pursuers, 
  some 
  having 
  lost 
  

   their 
  tail, 
  others 
  their 
  head, 
  and 
  others 
  the 
  half 
  of 
  their 
  

   bodies. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  few 
  short 
  hours, 
  sometimes 
  even 
  much 
  less, 
  one 
  

   "run" 
  of 
  Blue-fish 
  has 
  passed. 
  Others 
  follow 
  in 
  shorter 
  

   or 
  longer 
  intervals, 
  and 
  if 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  escape 
  unnoticed 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  night, 
  or 
  are 
  not 
  too 
  far 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  shore 
  to 
  be 
  

   seen 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  these 
  people 
  harvest 
  a 
  well-paying 
  

   crop, 
  though 
  a 
  very 
  laborious 
  one 
  to 
  gather. 
  October 
  17th, 
  

   October 
  25th, 
  November 
  Vth^ 
  are 
  the 
  dates 
  on 
  which, 
  during 
  

   the 
  last 
  three 
  years, 
  the 
  first 
  "run" 
  of 
  Blue-fish 
  passed 
  

   Ocean 
  City. 
  The 
  average 
  weight 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  is 
  

   about 
  14 
  lbs. 
  

  

  Many 
  forms 
  of 
  fisli 
  were 
  obtained 
  during 
  these 
  trips 
  ; 
  

   most 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  well-known 
  species, 
  already 
  in 
  the 
  collec- 
  

   tion 
  ; 
  others 
  we^-e 
  known 
  to 
  occur 
  in 
  our 
  vvaters^ 
  but 
  of 
  which 
  

   no 
  specimens 
  had 
  so 
  far 
  been 
  ])reserved, 
  while 
  a 
  few 
  were 
  

   entirely 
  new 
  to 
  the 
  collection. 
  The 
  following 
  list 
  contains 
  

  

  their 
  desoriptioi). 
  

  

  Vours 
  very 
  respectfully, 
  

  

  OTTO 
  LUGGEH. 
  

  

  