To Make «a sumpte Crowper. 107 
and reel. Its feeding-grounds extend along the coast from 
Delaware to Maine, wherever the sea-weed grows from beds 
of mussels. This fish, ike many herbivorous fishes of the 
Orient, lays its eggs, and they are vivified on the weeds and 
among the shells of the bottom. This process continues from 
May until August, and the shoals remain on the banks until 
most of their annual progeny leave the shell, when they all 
resort to deeper waters to winter. 
It is a ravenous fish to bite, and seldom breaks water until 
ready for the landing-net. Unlike the tautog, its mouth is 
large and leathery, easy to hook, and tenacious to hold. Its 
color is a bluish, and sometimes a greenish black, lightened a 
trifle at the lower parts of the sides and belly. Its scales are 
about a quarter of an inch in diameter, and its dorsal fins— 
while spinous—are not very hard; the other fins are soft- 
rayed, except the front ray of the anal. 
The sea bass is a boiler, but epicures regard it as superior 
ina chowder. Chowder clubs use no fish but sea bass. Lit- 
tle Neck clams improve the chowder, and, as I was for some 
time secretary of the Latourette Chowder Club, and superin- 
tended a combination of the gustatory elements, I will here 
describe a simple chowder for anglers. A common iron pot, 
of globular shape, is best to make a chowder in. Slice, as 
thin as possible, enough salt pork to cover the bottom and 
sides of the pot, to prevent the chowder from burning. Then 
cover the pork with a layer of quartered onions, which have 
been previously parboiled fifteen minutes; then cover the 
onions with a layer of fish cent in two-inch-square pieces; 
then cover the fish with a layer of tomatoes; then a layer of 
sea-biscuit; then a layer of clams; then a layer of onions, and 
continue the layers in the rotation described until the pot is 
filled. Season each layer with salt, and a mixture of red and 
black peppers, together with such other condiments as de- 
sired. Cover the pot, and let it stew or boil an hour; then 
pour upon it from a pint to a quart of Chateau Mareaux, or 
good Bordeaux claret, and let it simmer half an hour ionger. 
