The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-27
A New Kind Of Fish.

A New Kind OF Fish.
We certainly do not stand in any great
need o! a new variety of FISH for food. since
our markets are already unexccllcd and
scarcely rivalled anywhere IN their supplies
~ both salt and fresh water fish Of the
kinds most highly priced for eating Fish.
too. ara sold here at very moderate prices.
and those which swim in distant waters are
rapidly transported to New York to add to
the large variety which are caught nearer
us, So that though some single city may
pride itself on particular sorts for which it
II noted, no one has a fish market which
equals ours in it, completeness. Oysters,
too, are speciality ~ the New York market.
the greatest oyster market In the world
They have n late years become consider
able article Of export, and we shal hereafter
probably send them abroad in far greater
quantities than now.
But extensive A. our variety " all the
choccr kinds OF fish now is. it seems we are
IN increase IL through the labors anil in
vestigations OF the United States Fish
Commission, which for the last eight years
has been studying how to swell and vary
the product Of our winters The Fish Com
nssiuners of the different States have also
been at work during the same time In re-
stocking rivers. lakes, and ponds with valu-
able kinds Of fresh water fish, and in intro
duclng new varieties, so that the old fishing
grounds, not long ago nearly or quite ex-
hausted, are now beginning to yield hand
-oine profits to the professional fisherman
and good results to the sportsman. The re-
stocking IL going on from year to year. aud
the benefits of il will be long felt, especially
as the game laws " the States save the t-h
from wauton destruction and from the hook
Of the angler at the spawning season.
The most interesting discovery Of the
United States Fish Commission in our
waters this year l. large FOUNDER. closely
allied to he Engl>hi turbot, and alleged To
loo not inferior 10 IL A. an article ~ food.
The turbot. answering to our -heepshead IL
Is well known Is n great delicacyin England.
though We should perhaps not account it
a. an addition t. our rich variety of fish "
the Importance II holds Ia the estimation oi
a London Alderman. whose sturdy appetite
Is not psmpeled with such tsh courses A.
DELMONiCO thinks nothing 81 daily provid-
lug. still both the turhot and the sole. also
highly priced in England, are admirable
fish fol eating when properly cooked and
served, and 4 handsome supply OF turbot
will be- welcomed at our markets.
Until within ten OF fifteen years II was
supposed that neither the turbot nor the
sole, which both belong to the iatfish fam
lily, inhabited waters along the Atlantic
coast of North America; but the black tur-
bot, corresponding closely to the English
tulbot, was at length found to exist on the
outer slopes of the banks To the north ~ the
Georges. II has been proved for the first
tim. this summer that this very desirable
h-h can be- captured the whole season
through along ouT own coast, though before
it had never been taken south OF Newiound-
land and theu only in winter. Soon, therefore
our New York Aldermen may compete with
the Aldermen OF London in doing justice to
a turbot dinner, though we doubt II they
will relish II 40 supremacy, II their fish eat.
ing has been as extensive and as varied as
our market has permitted. But a new and
tiue fish is a handsome prize and we are
glad We have got the black tulbot "a ma
tive Of our waters and not as rare alien.
Prot. BAIRD, who is At the head of the
Commission which has made this gratifying
discovery, says the turbot was entirely uu-
known to the oldest fishermen on Cane Cod,
who thought there was nothing which swan
our waters with which they were not
familiar. The reason for this Ignorance has
been that thoy haven't ished for it properly.
The turbot has so small a mouth that one
two feet IN length would he unable to swallow
an ordinary baited hook, while small hook
would seem too weak for his weight. Prof,
BAIRD however, caught his turbOt with the
beam and trawl. a fishing implement used
alone here by the United States Fish Com
mission aud by Prof. AGAssIz, although ex-
,onsiVely employed in Great Britain for the
capture OF market fish. So abundant Is the
tdrbot that Prof BAIRD believes that several
tons could be taken daily by small schooner-
suitably equipped. Boston gastronomes,
the opinion Of some Of whom is deserving of
weight, say the fish makes tine food, and we
think that is very likely; hut they are not
represented as enthusiastic over our turbot.
In his own view the most important work
Of the Fish Commissioner. however, relates
to the artificial propagation of the valuable
varieties of seat fish .nacholrl. cod and
herring. I'M, II now going on extensively
at Gloucester, and will be- kept w for sew
ertl months. 4 good deal of fancy scientific
investigation has been done, and Prof
BAIRD, like wcll-pad Government servants
generally likes ~ magnify his Office; but il
he hall really aid our fishermen in making
living, and help To keep our waters alive
with the fish aitor which they go, the Com.
mission will accomplish something Of real
account This it may do by the system Of
propagation, whose ,u,'rcsh will perform
the great serviceuf stocking fishing grounds
near at hand and within our own boundaries,
One such preposterous fishery award as