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Duc, 4, 1884.] : 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
365 
HAG FISHING. 
under water, and when in pursuit of food passes rapidly from 
one object to another, provided it cannot eat the first thing 
which attracts its attention. When the hagdon finds food 
agreeable to its taste, it immediately rises to the surface .and 
hastily swallows the morsel, if it is not too large. This man- 
ner of eating is necessary as a matter of self-protection, torif 
the bird delays swallowing its food, it will soon have to dis- 
pute its right of possession with its companions. 
Jt is a common occurrence for a number of these birds to 
chase a boat for half an hour or more at a time, diving 
like a flash, every few minutes, after the bubbles made by 
the oars, which these winged rangers seem to imagine some 
kind of focd beneath the surface of the water, Nor will re- 
peated failures discourage them in making these attempts. 
They will also persistently follow a dory from which a trawl 
is being set, and diving in the wake of the boat, after the 
sinking gear, make desperate endeavors to tear the bait from 
the hooks. In these attempts they are often successful, much 
to the chagrin of the fishermen whose chances for catchin 
fish are thus materially diminished by these daring robbers.* 
The voracity and fearlessness which are thus se strikingly 
displayed by the hagdon offers the fishermen an opportunity 
to administer what they consider retributive justice, since 
the capture of these birds is thus made a comparatively easy 
task. Formerly, as has been stated, when shack-fishing was 
extensively carried on by the Grand Bank codfishermen, 
great numbers of Pujfinus were caught for bait with hook 
and line, Before proceeding to describe the methods of cap- 
ture I shall refer to the food of these birds. From my ob- 
servations I am of the opinion that the hag subsists chiefly 
on squid, which, of course, it catches at or near the surface 
of the water. I haye opened many hundreds of them, and 
have never, to my recollection, failed to find in their stom- 
achs either portions of the squid, or, at least, squids’ bills. 
It, muy be interesting also to mention the fact that in the 
fall of 1875, when the giant Cephalopods, or “‘big squid,” 
were found on the eastern part of the Grand Bank between 
the parallels 44° and 45° north latitude, and the meridians of 
49° 30' and 60° 30' west longitude, flocks of hagdons were 
invariably found feeding on the dead ‘‘deyil fish” which 
were floating on the water. In nearly all cases these ‘‘big 
squid” were found in a mutilated condition, usually with 
their tentacles eaten off almost to their heads, and the fisher- 
men soon learned to detect their presence by the large flocks 
of birds collected about them. The small species of fish 
which frequent the waters of the Eastern fishing banks, such 
as the lant, capelin, etc., also furnish Puffinuws with a portion 
of its food. But birds of this species, as well as most all 
others found at sea, are exceedingly fond of oily food, and 
especially the livers of the Gadide, cod, hake, etc., and this 
extreme fondness for codfish livers, which they swallow 
with ereat avidity, renders their capture impossible by 
the fishermen with hook and line. ‘‘Hag-fishing,” as 
it is called, can be carried on either from the side of a 
schooner or from dories, though usually better results are 
obtained by the men going out in the latter at some distance 
from the vessel. When it is desirable to obtain these birds 
for bait the morning is usually selected to effect their cap- 
ture, since at that time they are generally more eager for 
food than later in the day, when they are frequently gorged 
with the offal thrown from the fishing vessels, or with food 
obtained from other sources. It is generally the case, there- 
fore, that. two men engaged in hauling a trawl in a dory, 
after having obtained a sufficient number of cod to supply 
them with the requisite amount of livers, stop hauling their 
gear and proceed to “‘toll” up the birds, In order to do this 
pieces of liver are thrown out, which immediately entice the 
ever-present petrels or Mother Carey chickens that gather in 
flocks around the floating morsels and dancing up and down 
upon the water, tear the swimming particles into pieces 
small enough for them to swallow. If the weather is clear 
the keen eye of the nearest lugdon quickly detects this 
gathering of small birds near the boat, and thither he wends 
his way to scatter the little Mother Carey chickens right and 
left by his audacious aggression, while he swallows, with in- 
describable eagerness, the ies of floating liver, uttering, 
meanwhile, his harsh and disagreeable note. Not many 
*My brother, Capt. D. E. Collins, tells me that on several occasions 
he distinctly recollects that hagdons were caught on trawl-lines be- 
longing to his vessel, the hooks ste fastened in the beak or throat 
of the greedy birds, which had swallowed the bait before they had 
torn it from the sinking gear. 
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minutes elapse before other birds—hagdons, jegers, and 
other species, perhaps—may be seen coming from all points 
of the compass, and in a short time a large flock collect 
about the boat. If the weather is thick the programme is 
slightly varied. The birds are then attracted by the 
fishermen imitating their cries, and also, perhaps, by 
their scenting the oily liver floating on the waves. 
Lam assured by an excellent authority—Dr. Elliottt Coues 
—that all the birds of this family are provided with 
very imperfect organs of smell; but, nevertheless, both the 
hag and the Mother Carey chicken exhibit some peculiarities 
which so strongly resemble those of a dog working up a 
scent that it may not be out of place to call attention to the 
subject here. On many ocasions, during the prevalence of 
a dense fog, when not a bird of any kind had been seen for 
hours, I have thrown out, as an experiment, pieces of liver 
to ascertain if any birds could be attracted to the side of the 
vessel. As the particles of liver floated away, going slowly 
astern of the schooncr, only a short time would pass before 
either a Mother Carey chicken or a hag, generally the for- 
mer, could be seen coming up from the leeward out of the 
fog, flying backward and forward across the vessel’s wake, 
seemingly working up the scent until the floating pieces of liver 
were reached. If the first bird to arrive should be a Mother 
Carey chicken, and the liver too large for it to attack alone, 
which was generally the case, the petrel would at once fly 
away, and in a few minutes three or four could be seen re- 
turning. This suggests a question as to whether the petrel 
went to seek assistance or not in order that he might share 
with his coadjutors the feast which he could not well obtain 
unassisted; but should the first one to appear be a hag, he 
does not seek companionship, but with a greedy yell he 
pounces upon the pieces of Jiver and swallows them with 
the yoracity characteristic of the species, and no sooner has 
he devoured the morsel than he is off on the wing seeking 
for more. However, it is generally the case that a flock of 
hagdons soon gather, whatever may be the density of the 
fog, unless birds are very rare on the bank or perhaps rend 
ered indifferent to food by a recent feast. 
Having made this seemingly necessary digression to ex- 
plain the methods of ‘“‘tolling up” and gathering the flocks 
of birds about the dory, I shall now proceed to describe the 
modus operand of their capture. 
The two men in a dory, one aft and the other forward, are 
each provided with a line five or six fathoms in length, and 
a small hook, such as is ordinarily used for catching mack- 
erel, The bait, consisting of pieces of codfish liver, is large 
enough to float the hook as well as to cover its point. The 
hooks are baited and thrown out as soon as a flock of hag- 
dons have collected about the boat, and there also may be, 
and generally are, birds of other species. Should there bea 
large number of hags, and more especially if they have been 
without food for a short time, they display an almost inde- 
seribable voracity. In their eagerness to obtain the large 
pieces of liver, which they swallow at a gulp, as they fight 
among themselves, they do not seem to care whether a hook 
is concealed within the bait or not, At such times the birds 
may be easily caught, and are rapidly pulled in by the fish- 
ermen, who usually derive much gratification from the sport, 
not only from the excitement it affords, but also on account 
of the perspective profits which may result in obtaining a 
good supply of birds for bait. When a victim has been 
hooked, and is being pulled toward the boat, it struggles 
most energetically to make its escape by vainly endeavoring 
to rise in the air, or by spreading out its feet to hold itself 
back as much as possible as it is dragged unceremoniously 
over the water, while its vociferous companions follow after 
it, attempting to snatch away the piece of liver with which 
it has been decoyed. At times a bird may succeed in disen- 
gaging the hook from its beak, but usually the barbed point 
is well fastened aud the hag is landed in the boat. A 
fisherman then places it under his left arm to pre- 
vent its struggles, and grasping the head of the unfortun- 
ate bird with his right hand he crushes its skull with his 
teeth, Or he may try to deprive his victim of life by wring- 
ing its neck, striking it on the head with a ‘‘gob stick,” etc. 
This may continue until one bundred or perhaps two hun- 
dred birds are captured, but usually not somany. A com- 
paratively short time passes before some of the birds be- 
come gorged with the pieces of liver which they have ob- 
tained, and then they exhibit the greatest cunning in elud- 
ing capture. They seem to be fully conscious of the fact 
that within the liver there is concealed something which, for 
their own good, they should avoid. With a wonderful 
instinct that almost approaches reason, they cautiously 
approach and take hold of the bait with the tipsof their 
bills, and by flapping their wings, endeavor to tear it to 
pieces, In this maneuver the birds are often successful, and 
as a reward for their enterprise they secure a good lunch, 
which they hasten to devour, as the disappointed and dis- 
gruntled fisherman rebaits his hook with the hope of decoy- 
ing some less wary individuals. It frequently happens, how- 
ever, that a skillful “‘bait stealer” renders abortive all the at- 
tempts of the fishermen to effect its capture, while at the 
same time it will fight desperately with its intruding com- 
panions, to keep them away until it has filled itself to reple- 
tion. Having satisfied itself until scarcely able to clear the 
water, it quietly drifts to leeward at a safe distancefrom the 
boat, floating upon the wayes to await the digestion of its 
food, and apparently to take in the situation, So greedy, 
however, are many of these birds, that oftentimes they seem 
to leave, with great reluctance, the place where food is plen- 
tiful, even though they may be gorged to such an extent that 
they can eat no more. I have often, on such occasions, seen 
them lingering near the boats, looking upon a tempting 
piece of liver apparently with an expression indicative of 
regret that they could not find room forit. Frequently 
these greedy and garrulous birds also quarrel with their com- 
panions and attempt to drive them away from the food 
which they desire, but cannot accommodate. Of course 
their endeavors are futile, for, while they are opposing one, 
others rush in and devour the liver. 
When hags are abundant recruits are constantly arriving, 
and congregate in great numbers wherever food can be ob- 
tained. Hager to secure a share in the feast, the newcomers 
rush rayenously forward and swallow the pieces of liver, and 
are quickly pulled in by the fishermen, who, after killing 
them in the manner described, detach them from the hooks 
and throw them in the bottom of the boat, 
After awhile, however, the whole flock usually evinces a 
shyness which renders the sport unprofitable, and the men 
then employ themselves in hauling their trawls, or they go 
aboard the vessel.* If a sufficient quantity has been taken 
to more than supply the wants of the day, the birds are 
hung up around the booms and on the stern of the vessel, 
A few years ago it was not an unusual sight to see from two 
hundred to five hundred birds, more or less, of this species, 
suspended from a Grand Banker. In this manner they may 
be kept for several days without becoming worthless for 
baiting purposes, and, if eviscerated, they will keep fresh 
a much longer time. Indeed, I am told that in the fall it 
has been a common custom for the Marblehead bankers to 
save quite a number of these birds and bring them home in 
a fresh condition from the Banks, the hagdons being simply 
eviscerated and hung up in the hold of the vessel. 
These birds are eaten to some extent by the fishermen of 
the present day. Forty or fifty years agu, and even earlier, 
this species formed an important item in the bill of fare of 
a Grand Bank codfisherman, Although they have rather a 
“fishy” flavor, which is not especially agreeable to a delicate 
palate, they are nevertheless, when properly cooked, an 
agreeable change for the table of a fisherman who has been 
absent from home several months, and, consequently, has 
not had an opportunity of obtaining fresh messes other than 
fish, At present, when our fishermen are enabled to get 
much better food than any other class of sea-faring men, 
hagdon ‘‘pot-pies” or ‘‘stews,” are not so tempting to them 
as they were to the codfishermen of an earlier date. I am 
told by persons who have knowledge of the fact, that some 
of the old Marblehead fishermen who had been in the habit 
+It may be stated here that the capture of hagdons may occur at 
any time of the day and under different circumstances from those 
above mentioned ; but the description given represents the most com- 
mon method adopted. The birds are often caught toward evening 
after the trawls have been set for the night, or from a dory paid 
astern of the schooner. In the former case, the men, after setting 
their gear, make their boat fast to the outer buoy of the trawl, and, 
having enticed a flock of birds around their boat, they proceed to 
catch as many of the hagdons as is possible in the manner described, 
Ordinarily these birds are not GaUERh to any greab extent from yes- 
sels, except when the roughness of the weather renders it undesirable 
to go out in the dories, or when an unusually large and hungry flock 
has been collected alongside, attracted by the offal thrown out while 
dressing fish. At such times the men usually stand on both sides 
of the quarter deck and catch the birds in the manner that has 
already been mentioned, except that wooden floats are occasionally 
attached to the lines a foot ortwo above the hook, 
