The Canadian 



Ap f(ATUH/\IJ 



No. 7. 



MONTI: I. Al., J I I , 



WILLIAM COUPER, Editor. 



CANADIAN FOOD FI8HES— NEGLECTED 

 SPECIES. 



Large quantities of preserved fish commonlj 

 called Sardines are sent to this Dominion from 

 Europe. The Canadian consumption of this 

 article must Ik: enormous, while the purchas- 

 ers are ignorant of what they are buying, ami 

 we may as well tell them that in many cases 

 they are nut eating the genuine Sardine, but 

 the: posterior portion of herring (Clltpea.) 

 Years back there was a possibility of obtaining 

 the true Sardine, but to-day few fish of the 

 kind are packed for our market. We have In 

 take an inferior article — a fish densely covered 

 with large scales and with only a remote 

 flavour of the Sardine. We know of a better 

 fish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, occurring 

 abundantly during the months of May, June 

 and July, as far up the river as Baie Mille 

 Vaches and Lie. The habitants take them in 

 large quantities, which they generally salt in 

 tin nets for the Quebec market, but unfortu- 

 nately this Canadian Sardine is extremely 

 delicate and the primitive mode of preserving 

 make the fish too salt ; they are therefore not 

 generally relished. If, however, the Sardine 

 of the St. Lawrence, could be put up in oil in 

 lair-sized tins, there is reason to think it would 

 he equal, possibly superior to the supposed 

 Italian fish sent to us by the name of Sardines 

 a la huilc. We have an advantage also of 

 claiming this fish as local to our marine fauna 

 — that is to say, they occur in great schools 

 in the Lower St. Lawrence, while they are 

 scarcely ever seen in the salt water.* bordering 

 the United States. This is an advantage. 

 Doubtless the presence of this delicate fish in 

 the Gulf, is to a great extent the cause for (lie 

 appearance of numbers of whales and seals in 

 these waters during summer. Here, then, is 

 plenty of material to open a new industry, 

 which in our opinion would be remunerative, 



if a leu energetic men U 



are astonished thai 



ha- been bo long ne; • cl 



now brought I" fore the ' 



tin' lir-t time, to show thai 1 



garded though available indi 



Dominion. 



There is another little li-i 

 prolific in the same waters i.e., tli I 

 When (hi- fish is proper! 

 the (lull' fishermen have paid nomi 

 in curing them— it hum- a healthy . 

 food. The demand al present is | 

 from English restaurant i 

 the City <>l London. Tin- present modi 

 curing is simple, that ol allowing 1 

 remain in .-all I'm- a short time and I 

 laid out in the .-mi to dry. It ma 

 that Caplin preserved in this 

 cooked. We can vouch I'.ir this, 

 formed a delicious morsel with a l 

 coffee at breakfast daily for three 

 our second trip to Labradoi dllul 



purchased for 25 cents, sen 1 I 

 to the morning meal during the latter 1 

 In these times, when all kinds of human I 

 is dear, it is necessary that some all. 

 should be directed to neglected material which 

 could be converted into good, 

 easily digested food lor mankind. Now that 

 we have made important remarks 

 the above species Of marine food 



wish to bring before our readers tw 



of fresh-water fishes, which, bj 



are considered excellent human food, when 



properly cooked. The common Cat-fish and 

 the large Channel Cat-lish are found through- 

 out the Provinces of Ontario and Qu 

 former common throughout Ontario, and the 

 latter uncommon in Quebec. 1: Seems (hat 

 delicate and refined people have a 

 against eating these fishes, but we can d 

 such notions from the tact thai 

 have claS8ed them near the Gen US Salm 

 The Cat-lish being tonus OCCUl 

 this continent, approaching the lattei 

 having the lateral and posterior \ 



their bodies resembling Salmot 



the adipose tin; the tail portion 

 resembles some species o( Salmon)' 

 regard to our own experience, we iia 



