FOOD PRODUCTS OF THE SEA-^FISHES, 335 



supply is caught with nets in the shallow water on some 

 of the lakes, between October and November, This 

 practice is injurious and a reduced capture has ensued. 



An ice factory in New Orleans has introduced a new 

 way of shipping fish, particularly red snappers. They 

 are frozen in cakes of ice, or rather cakes of ice are 

 frozen arouuad the fish, and in this condition they are 

 forwarded to all sections of the country, 



Flying Fish. — There is a sea fish which must not be 

 passed over without notice, and that is the flying-fish 

 {Exocetus volitans). Of this there are three species or 

 varieties met with in the North Atlantic, the large 

 double-winged, the smaller double-winged, and the 

 single winged, but there would seem to be other varieties. 



In the ocean near the frontier island of Barbados they 

 are very plentiful, and are a source of profit to the negro 

 fishermen, who take them with the cast net; they are 

 afterwards baked in a plantain leaf and sold to the 

 ships in harbour. Some of these fish are fourteen inches 

 in length. They have been likened to the herring, but 

 except in size there is not much resemblance. 



The species Exocetus Rohertii is that caught in large 

 numbers about the island of Barbados from the 1st of 

 November to the end of July by about 250 boats, 

 manned by three or five men. In a few hours they will 

 get fifty or sixty fish, with which they will return ; these 

 are sold at about Id. each, but often if the fish are 

 abundant they wUl not fetch more than 2s. the thousand, 

 and often they are only useful for manure. In 1880 

 they were selling at 2d. the 100. The best time is from 

 March to May, when the fish are fat and succulent, and 

 they are then called gulf fish. These fish are occasionally 

 preserved in oil or vinegar to be sent to other islands, 

 and it is strange that a larger export trade is not carried 

 on. 



Zanzibar has a large import trade of dry and salt fish, 

 principally shark and seer fish. The import of cured 

 fish averages in annual value £30,000, representing about 

 500 tons, the greater part of which comes to the capital. 



