CHAPTER XII. 



The Bergall — Tautogolabrus adspersics. 



This fish has earned, and deservedly, much opprobrium on a good 

 many accounts. It is a very small fish, only in very rare instances 

 reaching a pound's weight. The general color is blueish on the dor- 

 sal, merging into a greenish hue beneath. Different sizes vary 

 greatly in color. Some bergalls are brownish, some blue, some 

 green ; the largest have an orange tint about the gill covers. The 

 eye is not large and the mouth, in which there is a plentiful supply 

 of sharp teeth, is small and bordered with thick lips like the black- 

 fish. In the dorsal fin are several very sharp spines likely to inflict 

 a severe wound unless the angler is careful. 



The strong scales of this fish are almost impossible to take off if 

 once allowed to dry. A dip in sharp vinegar will render the task 

 of dressing the bergall easier. The bergall is a vicious looking 

 little fish ; has a mean face. 



This fish is very plentiful about New York, and is caught about 

 rocks and sunken timbers. The bergall is an invariable co-dweller 

 ivith the blackfish ; his great delight, and, indeed, it seems to be the 

 only purpose in life, is to steal as much bait as he can swallow, and 

 f am inclined to believe that when he is unable to eat any more he 

 takes the bait off the hook in mere wantonness and throws it away. 



I would advise all anglers who have caught a lot of bergalls ia 

 their day's outing not t» go to the trouble of taking them away and 

 cooking them, unless of more than usual size. The best thing to do- 

 is to cut them up with the bait knife and throw them overboard 

 (what fishermen call "baiting the spot"), thus serving as an attrac- 



