aIV.-NATURAL HISTORY OF SOME OF THE MORE 

 IMPORTANT FOOD-FISHES OF THE SOUTH SHORE 



OF NEW ENGLAND. 



I.— THE SOUP. 



Stenotomus argyrops, (Linn.,) Gill. 



Common names : Porgy ; porgee ; l scup ; scuppaug ; mishcup. 



This species has a lesser variety of names than most others belonging 

 to our coast, it being known in the Southern States, and northward to 

 New Jersey, as porgy; while in Long Island Sound, and on the south 

 coast of New England, it is the familiar scup or scuppaug, from mish- 

 cup-pauog of the Narragansett Indians. 2 In the time of Roger Williams 

 its English appellation was bream, from the resemblance to the British 

 fish of that name. Its southern range, as stated by Dr. Holbrook, ex- 

 tends to Cape Florida, and it occurs on the southern coast throughout 

 the year, most abundantly, however, in June and July. It makes its 

 appearance, at least in considerable quantity, on the coast of New Eng- 

 land, about the middle of May, although the advance guard of very large 

 fish arrive sometimes as early as the middle of April, and it is most 

 abundant toward the 1st of June, and arrives in successive detachments 

 or "runs," differing in size, the smallest fish coming last. The first run 

 on the southern coast of New England, as stated, takes place about the 

 beginning of May, and consists of large breeding fish, weighing from 2 

 to 4 pounds, and measuring up to 18 inches or more in length. The 

 spawn is quite well developed at that time, and is said to be at first red, but 

 gradually to become light yellow as it matures. The particular time and 

 X>lace, however, of laying the eggs, is not yet known, although it is prob- 

 able that this occurs early in June, since the schools are said to break 

 up about the middle of that month, and the fish to scatter. It is thought 

 ■probable that the spawning takes place in the eel-grass which covers the 

 shoal waters of Narragansett Bay and Vineyard Sound. 



According to the fishermen generally, the scup, on first coming into the 

 shores, do not take the hook readily, being apparently too much occu- 

 pied in the business of reproduction, and two weeks usually elapse be- 

 fore they can be caught in this way. They present themselves in large 

 schools of immense extent, and moving very slowly, at about the rate of 

 •three miles an hour. From the testimony presented before the com- 

 mittee of investigation of the Bhode Island legislature, they appear 

 to come from the south and west, as when they enter Narragansett Bay 

 they strike the western shore and move up along its edge. They are 

 said, however, to drift slowly backward and forward with the tide, es- 

 pecially at the entrance of this bay. At this time they are very slug- 

 gish, and are said sometimes to appear as if blind, and can frequently 

 be taken with the hand or a very short scoop-net. 



1 Not to be confounded with pogy or poagie, which is the menhaden. 

 3 Roger Williams. Key to the Language of America, London, 1G43. (Publications of 

 Narragansett Club, I, page 138, 18(36; J. H. Trumbull, editor.) 



