AMERICAN FISHES. 
368 
Some of the fishermen say that they go on the mud-flats and oyster-beds 
at the mouth of the river to deposit their eggs. What becomes of them 
after this no one seems to know, but it is probable that they spread them¬ 
selves throughout all the adjacent rivers, bays, and sounds, in such a 
manner as not to be perceptible to the fishermen, who make no effort at 
this time to secure the spent, lean fish. Many of them probably find 
their way to the lakes, and others remain wherever they find good feeding 
ground, gathering flesh and recruiting strength for the great strain of the 
next spawning season. There is no evidence of any northern or southern 
coastwise migrations, the habits of the species apparently being very local. 
The fisherman recognizes three distinct periods of schooling or separate 
runs of mullet. To what extent these are founded on tradition, or upon 
the necessity of change in the size of the mesh of their nets, it is impossi¬ 
ble to say. The “ June Mullet” average about five to the pound ; the 
‘ 4 Fat Mullet,” which are taken from August 20 to October 1, weigh 
about two pounds ; these have, the fishermen say, a “ roe of fat ” on each 
side as thick as a man’s thumb. The “Roe Mullet” weigh about two 
and a half pounds, and are caught in November and until Christmas. 
Between the seasons of “Fat Mullet” and “Roe Mullet” there is an 
intermission of two or three weeks in the fishing. How to interpret these 
curious statements is surely a difficult problem, and one which can be 
solved only by careful study of the fishes themselves at these seasons. The 
fishermen insist that these schools come successively down the river and 
proceed directly out to sea. They will not believe that the “ Fat Mullet ” 
and the “Roe Mullet” are the same schools under different circum¬ 
stances. I would hazard the suggestion that the “Fat Mullet” of 
September are the breeding fish of November, with roes in an immature 
state, the ova not having become fully differentiated. 
The largest fish appear rarely to exceed six pounds. This is exceptional, 
however. Mr. W. H. Tate, of Melton & Co., Jacksonville, tells me that 
he never saw one exceeding seven pounds, though he had heard of one 
weighing fourteen. He showed me on the floor of the fish-market a line 
indicating the length of a very large one; this measured twenty-nine 
inches. At Mayport none had been seen exceeding six pounds in weight. 
At the mouth of the St. John’s cast-nets ten feet in diameter are used, 
but most Mullet are taken in gill-nets, which are swept around the 
schools, the fish being easily visible at the surface. These nets are from 
