THE JEW. 357 



scription of tackle. A trout-bait rod with a fine line, and 

 every article attenuated down to a good-aized trout-hook, 

 baited with a grub, red angle-worm, cricket, or grasshopper, 

 if cautiously used, will generally tempt him from his element, 

 and when caught he is in appearance much like a carp in 

 form, and feature, and disposition of fins. Color, dark-grayish 

 on the back, the back changing to a white on the belly. Dor- 

 sal and ventral fins directly opposite. Head and mouth 

 small, latter lined with very fins teeth ; scales quite large. 

 Is good on the platter. 



"A capricious little fish, 



That swims in pond and stream, 

 And a dainty on the dish, 

 Is the cautious, cunning bream." 



THE JEW 



Is caught in the Gulf cf Mexico from the coast of Florida 

 to Texas ; weighs from twenty pounds up among the hun- 

 dreds. One taken near Galveston, in the summer of 1874, 

 weighed over four hundred pounds. The French at New Or- 

 leans call him " Tin Grand Poisson.'" He is caught in deep 

 water with extra strong lines and heavy hooks, and comes 

 out of the water without resistance, as if terra firma was a 

 matter of indifference to him ; but when brought to land 

 shows his dissatisfaction by groaning and flapping his tail. 

 When of large size he is cut up into steaks after the manner 

 of the halibut of the North. The Jew is an excellent chow- 

 der-fish, and whether boiled, baked, or fried, is considered 

 6econd to none, not even the boasted pompano. 



