246 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



had a material influence upon the abundance of flounders, M'hich have a 

 similar proclivity, and appear to depend upon these animals in greater 

 part for food. Flounders have, therefore, greatly diminished in Massa- 

 chusetts Bay, either from being starvedout or obliged to resort to othei? 

 localities. 



The blue-fish are not unfrequeutly found with crabs and shell-fish in 

 their stomachs, (page 42,) as also eels, (page 44,) which probably they 

 obtain at night, as it is understood they feed at the bottom at that time, 

 coming to the surface by day. This is proved by the fact that blue-fish 

 taken in gill-nets are taken at night near the middle line j but if taken 

 by day, then near the upper edge. 



In the discussion of the question as to whether the decrease of fish 

 on the south coast of New England has arisen from the multiplication 

 of traps and pounds, it has been denied that scup form any part of the 

 food of the blue-fish, it being asserted that the spinous nature of the 

 fins effectually prevents such a performance. Apart, however, from the 

 positive testimony of a great number of persons on this point, I am able 

 to state in the most emphatic manner that of the large number of blue- 

 fish examined at Wood's Hole during the summer of 1871, 1 nine-tenths 

 of them had their stomachs filled with scup in greater or less number. 

 Most of these fish were taken in pounds, in which scup were also caught ; 

 and it would be but the exercise of a natural instinct for the one to prey 

 upon the other under these circumstances ; and, nevertheless, it is very 

 clear that the natural defenses of the scup did not prevent their being 

 swallowed. Furthermore, however, the examination of many blue-fish 

 taken in gill-nets also resulted in finding scup in their stomachs. We 

 may, therefore, readily infer that, while, perhaps, preferring* menhaden 

 and mackerel, as' being either more savory or more easily taken from 

 their swimming near the surface of the water, blue-fish will feed upon 

 any animal life to be found in the sea, going nearer the bottom at night, 

 and coming to the surface by day, and that whatever fish the sea affords 

 in greatest abundance at the time will suffer most severely from their 

 ravages. 



As already stated, the first blue-fish of the season are caught at the 

 bottom, while fishing for scup ; and the evidence shows that they are 

 first taken in gill-nets sunk to the bottom, before they are taken with 

 the line at the top, this being the evidence of their presence, and before 

 any indication is seen by their "breaking" at the surface. 



According to Dr. Yarrow, this fish, on the southern coast, comes in 

 from the sea into the inlets on the flood tide, the larger ones returning 

 on the ebb, feeding in preference in water of 4 to 5 feet in depth. 



As already explained, they seem to know no particular time for tak- 

 ing their food, being equally voracious day and night. 



I regret to say that but little definite is known in regard to the re- 

 production of the blue-fish. Dr. Yarrow does not give any facts in re- 

 gard to this subject, at Fort Macon, except that spawn was seen to run 

 out of a small female caught July 14. Dr. Holbrook is also silent on 

 this head. Mr. Geuio C. Scott says the spawning-beds are visited by 

 the parent in June, and consist of quiet nooks or bays. Mr. E. B. 

 Roosevelt states that very diminutive young occur in immense numbers 



1 Of seven hundred bine-fish the stomachs of which were examined by my assistant, Dr. 

 Palmer, at Wood's Hole, between the 2d of August and the middle of September, six 

 hundred and fifty-five contained scup, in numbers A r arying from two to ten or more, 

 the average being four or five. Next in number to the scup came the butterfish, the 

 squid, small mackerel, and the sand-smelt. Even young blue-fish of the season had 

 entire scup of the year within them. 



