The Sheepshead 329 
of smell, —in a word, to attract it; while on the 
second hook was a boiled oyster, strong and 
tenacious, which served as the killing lure. The 
fish is supposed to migrate, that is, it disappears 
from the eyes of fishermen in its northern haunts 
in winter, either moving south, out into deeper 
water, or lying dormant. At Old Point Comfort, 
Virginia, the sheepshead appeared in April, some- 
times in March, disappearing in October. On 
the Florida reef, at Garden Key, it could be 
caught the year round, but was much more 
frequent in summer. Georgia is apparently the 
limit of the supposed migration ; from here south 
it was found the year round, the fishing being 
merely affected by the question of bait. The 
sheepshead is common all along the coast of 
Florida in winter, the numbers increasing the 
farther south one goes. The Indian River region 
down to Biscayne Bay is a favorite locality for 
it. Mr. Stearns states that on the mainland 
Gulf coast the fish is found during the entire 
year, especially at St. Marks River, Cedar Keys, 
Homosassa River, and to the south. On the 
other hand, in the northern Gulf localities, as 
Appalachicola, St. Andrews, Mobile, and Pensa- 
cola, it is migratory, appearing in large numbers 
