FOOD PRODUCTS OF THE SEA — FISHES. 333 



The home and foreign demand for fish cured in New 

 York is large and rapidly increasing. The industry pro- 

 mises to become very great. 



The pompano {Trachynotus carolinemis), a member of 

 the mackerel family, is the champion of the sub-tropical 

 waters, and so esteemed as a delicacy that it fetches as 

 high as 4s. a pound in New York. There sre several 

 other species, as T. ovatus, T. glaucus, &c. 



Another much hunted fish is the Spanish mackerel 

 {Cyhium maculatwm), which is fat, delicate and savoury. 



In North America the losh {Lota maculatd) grows to a 

 very large size, sometimes weighing sixty pounds, and 

 forms an acceptable dish in the absence of the white 

 fish of the lakes, which are usually also fat and excellent 

 eating. The flesh of the losh is comparatively hard and 

 dry, and the fish are chiefly valued for their livers and 

 roe. The liver is of a triangular shape, weighing a pound 

 or two, and is an extremely rich and delicate morsel when 

 broiled. It affords a pint or so of sweet rich oil, used by 

 the Russians in cooking, and which doubtless might be 

 employed instead of cod liver oil. 



White Fish and other Lake Fish. — No more delicious 

 repast can be offered than a fine Mackinaw trout, caught 

 from the depths of his cool retreat ; but when pickled 

 and packed for future market, much of the flavour is 

 lost, or so incorporated with the brine, that they lose 

 caste in comparison with their smaller and more 

 numerous rivals the white fish. These fish range in 

 weight from three to six pounds, and in some rare 

 instances attain treble that weight. In size and general 

 outline, they resemble the eastern shad, but upon close 

 examination prove more symmetrical and striking. 



It would be useless to give the names of all the 

 prominent kinds caught in the American lakes, but 

 among the different varieties of trout, maskalonge, 

 siscowet, white fish, bass, perch, cat fish, and sturgeon, 

 enough are found to hold strong competition with the 

 best taken along the Atlantic. There are innumerable 

 species of small fish to be found in the lakes which are 



