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PISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



The most abundant of the migratory food fishes of the state are the ale- 

 wives, or river herrings. The extent to which these entered into the fisheries 

 of the counties in 1904 is shown in the following detailed table in which the 

 number, weight, and value of the fish sold fresh and salted are separately given: 



Yield of Alewivbs in North Carolina, 1904. 



The blue-fish is taken in largest quantities in Dare and Carteret counties. 

 Its economic value in the latter county and the peculiar methods of capture 

 there adopted are thus described by Dr. Coker: 



The blue-fish is one of the most important fish of these waters. Its value varies accord- 

 ing to size. Large and medium sell best, and as a rule are sent to the northern markets, while 

 the small snappers bring little more than half the price of the other, per pound, and are used 

 craefly in the state trade. 



Formerly. quite abundant, blue-fish had become quite scarce, untU within the past few 

 years, when they again became plentiful. In 1903 they were taken in unprecedented quanti- 

 ties. Out of several hundred thousand pounds of fish shipped from these points during October 

 12 to 17, inclusive (one dealer shipped 197,000 pounds and is considered to have handled half 

 the product for that week), more than three-fourths were blue-fish. The shipment of fish dur- 

 ing that week was the greatest ever made from these points. 



Blue-fish are taken by "drifting" for them in the inlet, by "set nets" on the outside, and, 

 in less degree, by "footing them up" with drag nets and in purse seines. The "drifting" is 



