116 FRESH-WATER FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 
about this time, but to what genus they belonged, the writer 
could not determine from what he heard. He did not see 
the specimens. The Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma Cepedianum), 
has been met with by single specimens and pairs, while fish- 
ing for “suckers” (Catostomus) and “chub” (Semotilus). 
The date is much earlier than any previous one, and prob- 
ably more specimens have been taken. They were usually 
large, but were thin, sickly and sluggish in their movements. 
Probably but few of this species enter the river, or at least, 
come up as far as Trenton. When once they have wandered 
into deep ponds they will remain and breed. One pond, 
that has been stocked with them since 1833, contains now 
larger specimens than the writer has ever elsewhere seen. 
.. On the 23d or 24th of January a healthy, strong, active 
Cod-fish ( Morrhua Americana), weighing nearly four pounds, 
was taken in a draw-net. The stomach of this fish showed 
it had been in river-water for several days. The fisherman 
who took this specimen considered it the first instance of the 
kind on record, but such is not the case. Several have been 
taken about Philadelphia during the past twenty years. A 
unique oceurrence, however, we believe to be the capture of 
a large Sturgeon in January. The Sturgeon is sensitive to 
the cold, but it would seem that the water had not been 
greatly chilled, considering the presence of this fish, which 
was fully as active as the species is during the summer 
months. 
Of the resident fish that are to be taken in variable quan- 
tities during the winter, when the ice is not abundant, the 
sucker tribe and the Delaware chub are the principal. Dur- 
ing the past few days the abundance of these fish has been 
remarkable, and in one day several bushels were taken. 
The number of chubs was very large and afforded excellent 
opportunities of examining their distinctive characters. 
They were all the Semotilus rhotheus Cope. None measured 
less than eight inches in length, and every specimen, male 
and female, had the brilliant rosy and blue tints mentioned 
