GILKN-— ON THE FOOD FISHES OF NOYA SCOTIA. 15 



several seasons before it Avas very deficient. One reason advanced 

 with some plausibility is, that they range about the mouths of our 

 rivers to feed upon the young gaspereaux, just emerging into their 

 salt water life, and as the dams and obstructions of our rivers are 

 daily cutting them off their spawning grounds, this supply is rapidly 

 diminishing, and therefore they are rapidly leaving us. But we are 

 met with the fact that there are more mackerel than gaspereaux, 

 that the supply is too limited. There is a small crustacean that 

 covers the beaches in winrows, like a shrimp, in July and August. 

 These the fishermen call mackerel bait, and by their o^uantity or 

 scarcity predict a good or a bad season. One cannot but think 

 the myriads of meciuste which fill our autumnal waters, must serve 

 * as food for them. Of their voracity and willingness to take arti- 

 ficial baits, the common saying, "a mackerel will bite at a red rag," 

 is a strong but a true expression ; but as this invariably leads us to a 

 history of the mackerel fisheries, we will sum up in a few words our 

 present knowledge of this fish. • He appears in May lean and with 

 spawn, and is seen passing eastward, and northward ; some few 

 remain passing up and down our shores ; he reappears again from the 

 north and eastvfard, (having spawned in deep soundings,) in Septem--- 

 ber, very lean, rapidly recruits, and disappea-rs during November 

 very fat, to reappear lean again in early spring ; that he is uncertain 

 in the place of appearing, and that we need some exact practical 

 facts as regards his food. Mr. Thomas Brackett, Halifax fish 

 market, assured me that he had opened many mackerel this day, 

 November 1st, 1865, and the stomachs of all were empty. He 

 states that he often finds sm^all fish in them earlier ill the season. 



This valuable fish, though low in the scale of organized beings^ 

 is much prized as an article of food, and is deservedly considered 

 our most valuable export. His capture forms the most exciting 

 work of all the Avet, toil, and hardships our fishermen endure* 

 There is chance in it' — luck as they would express it. By one 

 dexterous cast of net, he may make more than a month's work at the 

 hook and line. Set nets, that is, nets about 30 fathoms long, and 4 

 deep, are stretched by their head lines betAveen tAvo buoys at the 

 mouth of some inlet, and facing AvestAvard, about the middle of May^ 

 Many are thus taken. In early spring they are lean and filled with 



