Loves Fryre-risn, paves at TRoLLs. 133 
either. The numbers of this fish annually taken about the 
approaches to our harbors with the troll and in nets increase, 
so that it bids fair to become nearly as numerous as the blue- 
fish. Ofthe shoals which venture along the shores of beaches 
or breakwaters, the fish range in weight from five to fifteen 
pounds, while farther south they are said to attain to the 
weight of nearly a hundred. 
The menhaden of our shores form the leading attraction to 
the food-fishes of the troll, and they are so prolific that, if they 
can be protected against oily speculators, there will be no 
danger of our losing entirely any of the large food-fishes of 
the coast. 
The bonetta is very beautiful, having a dark greenish-blue 
back, which lightens to midsides, and terminates in a satiny 
white belly. The diagonal rays are nearly black, and extend 
a little below the sinuous lateral line. The first dorsal is 
spinous, as are the first rays of the second dorsal and pecto- 
ral, The tail is framed by two spinous rays, and never closes. 
The anal fin is also rigid. There is an adipose fin about three 
inches long from the tail up the lateral line, as on the Spanish 
mackerel and cero. The mouth is armed with teeth both 
strong and sharp. The tufts of fins from the second dorsal 
and anal to the tail add to its superior means of propulsion, 
and its shape, being perfectly adapted to cleaving the waters, 
prove it to be one of the swiftest fishes of the soundings and 
harbor approaches. Its scales are so small as not to be seen 
without the aid of glasses. It is usually taken on a large 
metal squid in trolling for bluefish, and very few have been 
caught in fykes and pounds. It is a very voracious fish, and 
generally in good condition and very gamy. It spawns about 
June in our bays, but probably earlier in the season farther 
south. While angling in company with Alderman Dodge, 
last year, in Jamaica Bay, he took one which weighed less 
than a pound, on shedder-erab bait; it was one of a shoal 
hatched the year previous. Some fishing naturalists state 
that it spawns about the islands of the Western Archipelago, 
