1344 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



YOUNG BLACK BASS WINTERING IN THE AQUARIUM 

 While the temperature of the water remains low they seldom take food 



So fastidious has the fish-eating public of the 

 United. States become, that alewives or herrings, 

 as they are most frequently designated, are 

 spurned. The fact is that they are full of 

 bones, and the story is told of a boarder being 

 fed alewives by his landlady until he was unable 

 to remove his shirt. But in the West Indies 

 these fishes are treated with oil and certain 

 condiments and served as a salad. The presi- 

 dent of the Gloucester Mackerel Company testi- 

 fies that this salad is delicious. 



Although the alewife is not especially delect- 



able to the majority of human beings, it is un- 

 questionably of great importance as a food sup- 

 ply of other fishes relished by mankind. Such 

 species as the bluefish and squeteague are known 

 to be attracted shoreward by the presence of 

 schools of alewives which are seeking the en- 

 trance to their spawning grounds. Doubtless 

 fishermen, not connected with the INIattakessett 

 Fishery, indirectly profit from it through the 

 bluefish and weakfish which they catch while 

 these larger, predaceous species are following 

 the alewives. 



