352 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The following tabulated statement is so classified as to express graphically the 
main constituents of the food of the squeteague : 
Date. 
Number 
ol spec- 
imens 
exam- 
ined. 
Contain- 
ing men 
haden. 
Contain- 
ing adult 
herring. 
Contain- 
ing but- 
ter-fish. 
Containing young 
herring. 
Contain- 
ing 
squid. 
Containing 
small 
Crustacea. 
Contain- 
ing 
nothing. 
Miscellaneous 
July 4 
8 
2 (3) 
1 (4) 
3 (many). 
3 
5 
1 1 
i 0) 
1 (2) 
3 (3) 
6 
6 
8 
2 (2) 
3 (4) 
5 
7 
4 
] (1) 
2 (3) 
1 
9 
20 
5 (5) 
1 (1) 
11 
10 
30 
2 (2) 
7 (7) 
3 (3) 
9 
11 
33 
2 (2) 
6 (6) 
2 (2) 
4 (few) . . . 
17 
13 
17 
3 (3) 
1 (1) 
4 (5) 
4 (14) 
3 (6) 
5 
1 knot seaweed. 
14 
30 
1 (1) 
6 (8) 
3 (3) 
1 (3) . . 
16 
16 
37 
2 (2) 
13 (18) 
3 (4) 
18 
17 
56 
5 (5) 
i (i) 
6 (7) 
2 (2) 
5 (5) 
3 (many). 
35 
Shrimps, with 
other crusta- 
cea. 
18 
43 
1 (1) 
i (4) 
1 (1) 
1 U) 
34 
19 
1 (2) 
6 
23 
31 
6 (8) 
3 (3) 
19 
lady crabs. 
24 
40 
3 (3) 
6 (6) 
29 (many) 
4 (4) 
2 (few ) . - . 
3 
1 small crab. 
25 
15 
4 (4) 
1 (1) 
8 
26 
20 
1 (1) 
2 (2) 
1 (l) 
16 
27 
12 
12 
28 
26 
2 (2) 
5 (7) 
1 (1) 
4 (7) 
3 (5) 
11 
30 
27 
2 (2) 
13 (15) 
1 (1) 
3 (few) 
i (i) 
3 (few* . . . 
5 
21 
14 
3 (3) 
5 (17) 
4 
Aug. 1 
17 
2 (7) 
1 (l) 
2 
i ° 2 
14 
5 (5) 
5 (8) 
2 (2) 
1 (1) 
1 young fish. 
11 
1 (1) 
J (l) 
6 
8 
13 
13 
9 
13 
1 (1) 
3 (5) 
10 
10 
7 
3 (4) 
6 (22) 
1 (2) 
1 (1) 
11 
6 
1 (2) 
5 
Young scup. 
570 
19 (19) 
57 (62) 
80 (130) 
100 (very many) . . 
41 (52) 
30 (many). 
280 
Per cent 
3.3 
10 
14 
17.5 
7.2 
5 
49 
Note. — The figures and words in parentheses indicate the number of victims found in the given number of 
squeteague. The figures without parentheses indicate the number of squeteague containing such victims; thus, 19 
squeteague contained in their stomachs (19) menhaden as victims, 57 squeteague contained (62) adult herring as victims, 
and so for the other columns following. The column headed “Miscellaneous ” includes victims not otherwise enumerated. 
It will be seen that the column of the table headed “young herring” is the one 
most constantly filled, and that the aggregate number of fish included in it (100) is 
larger than in any of the other columns where food is found, covering 1 7i per cent of 
the whole number of fish studied. It is very evident, in fact, to the investigator that 
schools of young herring, menhaden, and alewives, with young fisli of other species 
found less often during this particular period, are especially sought by the squeteague. 
In a single specimen 25 inches long were found 1GG young 2-inch herring. It seems 
hardly credible that one fish could manage to consume this number at a single meal, 
but very frequently they thus get opportunities of gorging themselves — from a single 
school, too, since the process of digestion had acted uniformly upon the whole. 
In the next left-hand column* one sees that butter-fish ( Stromateus triacanthus ) 
also form a large part of the food of this species. I have found as many as 7 small- 
sized victims (all together weighing 8^ ounces) in a single squeteague, while 14 per 
cent of the whole number examined contained these victims. In the column recording 
the fish feeding upon squid one sees a large representation; 7 per cent of the whole 
number of squeteague examined used them. 
*In this column also are included young bluefish, which often occur, and in the nearly digested 
state can with difficulty be distinguished from small butter-fish. 
