West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-03-06
htenIIil,ien.

The Mcnhadcm fishery of tins country IL
the largest of its kind i'm the worlC, and liz
only exceeded in importance by the cod
fisheries. The herring family is represented
ON the Atlantic coast by ten species. all of
which swim IN immense schools and several,
such as the sea herring and the shad, are of
great economical Importance In abund-
ancc and value these are all surpassed by
the mcnhadcn. This fish has thirty dis
tlnct names, limited in their use within
narrow geographical boundaries. North of
Cape Cod the name pOgy is universally used
while in southern New England the fish is
called the mendadcn. The names are de
rived from two Indian words of the same
meaning. About Cape Cod the pogy rs re
placed 10y hard head shad, and i'm eastern
Connecticut by bOny fish. I'm western Con
nccticut the species is commonly known as
the white fish, while in New York the
familiar name is mOssbunker, "A relic Of the
Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. The
other names are alcwife, bay alewifc, pitcher
and green tail. Virginia gives it the name
Of the bug fish, bug shad and bug head.
Professor Goodc says that sixty or eighty
per cent. of the mcnbadcn taken i'm the
Chesapeake contain parasitic cruslaccans in
their mouths. The parasites dO not live on
open mouth, deyOur the food as il passes
through the fish's gils. ln North Carolina
the name Is fat back, which prevails rs far
south as Florida, and where are also heard
the names, yellow tail and yellow tailed
shad, while in southern Florida the fish is
called sinner and herring. II is deemed i'm
possible to indicate the movements Of lhc
mcnhadcn with certainty With settled
warm weather they make their appcua zee
In the inshOre water, usually preceding the
shad and the blue q IN q week or so. The
first schools usually appear i'm Chesapeake
Bay in March or April; ON the coast OF
New Jersey, IN April or early May; ON
the south coast of New England iu latc
April and May; of Cape Ann, about the
middle Of May, and in the Gulf Df Maine.
the latter part Of May and tic first of june
Returning, they leave Maine late in scr.
tcmbcraud October, Massachusetts, boo OctO.
bcr, November and December, Long Island
Sound and vicinity, iu November and ne
ccmbcr, Chesapeake Bay, i'm December and
Cape llattcras, in January Further To- the
south they remain more or lees constantly
throughout The year Their northern range
has become restricted within twenty years
Forty years ago they were caught Boo im-
mcnsc schools in st. Johns Bay, 81 g., and
sometimes 300 great numbers iu thc Bay Of
Fsndy They arc now seldom seen there
I'm $40 there was % great change boo thc
limits of their northern range In July
more than forty steamers rcsJncd 90 The
usual fishing grounds north Of Cape Cod,
where the catch for the season did not as
coed one hundred barrels The theory of
The absence of the fish from this old haunt
is that lhc fish usually rcsortiug there were
killed Of, or sought other haunts. probably
the hitter, as np one ivauccs thc theory
that tbc mcnhadcu arc being cxtcuuiuated,
and they arc vastly more abundant ON this
coast The absence Of food, the presence
of am enemy boz their old haunts or The dis
tasteful atmosphere Of thc water, would
drive them to new ones. ID has been sug
gc7tcd that thc presence Of considerable
numbers of blue fish north Of Cape Cod may
De- thc cause of the menhadcn's absence. but
Professor GOOdc disputes 10, on the ground
That The presence of great schools OF blue
fish among mcnhadon does not have the cf-
feet Of driving them away At The time
that blue fish were most abundant, there
was no perceptible duninution ia the NUM-
bcr Of menhadcn. The change Of temper
ature Is accepted as the most plausible
theory, and the Professor is Of the opinion
that they 60 Oft into the sea, under the Gulf