THE FISHES OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 43 



nets. It is not used for food, but the oil is valuable — and the body is 

 sometimes dried for feeding pigs. 



3. The Thresher is bold, active, and powerful — a member of the shark 

 family. It is found from eight to twelve feet in length. It pursues 

 and destroys the mackarel, shad, &c. It boldly attacks the small whales 

 of our Gulf, violently threshing them with its tail and inflicting great 

 pain as the movements of the whale indicate. 



4. The Shark is a well-known, large, powerful, and voracious fish. 

 It has a long, tapering body, with projecting snout on the under side of 

 which are the nostrils. Its tail is peculiar, the upper part of it being 

 much longer than the lower, enabling the fish to throw itself rapidly on 

 its side to seize its prey. Its mouth is armed with formidable teeth, 

 and is situated in the lower side of the body and posterior to the snout. 

 Sharks are often seen on the north coast of the island. The family name 

 of the three last mentioned fishes is the Squalidce. 



5. The Sturgeon is caught from two to eight feet in length. In shape 

 it is almost pentagonal. The back of the head is depressed and flattened. 

 Both head and sides are covered with bony plates. Its colour above is 

 dull grey, and beneath white. The flesh is coarse. It was once numerous 

 on our coasts, and might yet be caught in some of our large bays. 



2. Fish of Bony Skeleton and Horny Scales. 

 The most valuable families of this class are the Salmon, Mackarel, 

 and Cod families ; other species are of less consecpience. 



1. The Salmon. This valuable fish is well known. When fresh, it 

 is beyond comparison the best fish in our waters. In the spring, great 

 numbers of them find their way into our gulf, but as our rivers are 

 poorly adapted for the deposit of their spawn, they spread along the 

 coasts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, pressing specially into the 

 Bay Chaleur and up the Bestigouche river. At one time they were 

 abundant in the East River, and in several other rivers of the island ; 

 now they are almost confined to St. Peter's Bay, and the Morrell river 

 which flows into it. 



2. The Trout. There is scarcely a stream on the Island in which 

 some species of trout may not be found. In some rivers they are very 

 fine. The salt-water trout, of grey appearance, sometimes called the 

 Salmon-trout, is caught in the harbours in spring ; at a later period, it 

 ascends the rivers. The fresh-water Trout is brighter and more florid. 

 When in good condition, its spots bright and flesh firm, it is much more 

 highly flavoured than the other. When in cold water, and having the 

 range of a flowing stream, they are always best. 



3. The Smelt, a small fish, is very abundant at certain seasons of the 

 year. In winter it is best, and may be obtained by a hook or spear 

 through the ice along the shore, or on the flats. About the last of April 



