New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-17

the bottom is soon "pursed" like the mouth
I Of a tobacco bag. and the fish are captive
The "bJnt' or main body Of the net IS by de-
grees hauled into the two boats until only
comparatively small part OF II is In the wafer
and there the fish are packed together IL iFlhb
mass from which they dipped out with
strainer scoops holding a thousand lin meas
ure) each operated by wnd!ass or pulley from
the steamer or schooner. which hitherto had
been lying off some distance. but has now APP
preached. 1t is seldom that all Of a school 10
captured. for sometimes they number many mill
ions Of these fish which ordinarily are about
the size Of herring. A half million at one
time Is considered good catch. OltentlMeS the
quarry escapes through the presence or Vicious
bluefsh or sharks which have been in the
school feastng. The fishermen dread these
ravenous fellows, and would never get net X
they were known to be in the bunch, as. with
their sharp teeth they play havoc with the net
and soon free themselves. as well az the men.
baden. not only causing the loss of the catch.
but necessitating departure for home. where
several days required to repair the DAM
age.
FEAST OF DUCK AND GULL
So much for an abbreviated description Of the
capture of the menhaden in which ] have
generally RETAINED from using nautical and
local vernacular. so that highland readers
may understand Myriads of these menhaden
have for weeks been cruising nOrthward off the
southern coast. The schools OF large ones have
been driven away 10 sea by the swarms or
buefish no, ering about coast from Hat
teras to the Virginia Capcs. The smaller ones
from the same cause have been run shoreward
and are entering the Chesapeake i'm RATS. The
fisher folk have to he content with these little
oesS fellows. unless they are favored with
such weather will permit them 10 venture
twenty-five or thirty miles Ia sea. But the lit
Il" fellows furnishing "A feast for the water
pheasant. or sh"lduck, as it is sometimes called
and the Gannet. a species OF large gun.
Millions Of these are just now to be seen north
Of Hatteras and in the Chesapeake across the
and the only idea which be- given of their
raviGes upon the finny tribe may be found N
the voraciousness OF these birds. The pheasant
gorges himself with menhaien. and can accom-
modatc many a half dozen before he rests
/ for digestion TO hold sway. Within few hours
he begins business again, and 50 the game goes
When sorgcd he floats upon the water. too
heavily laden to n.y. and II disturbed seeks OBJ
security in diving-and he is a skiIful one. too.
Some what different is it with the gannet: he
can only dive when descending from height.
and ii is pretty sight 10 SEQ the black clouds
II these dcvastaters soaring above you while
ever and anon they dart headlOng with folded
pinions. striking the water like a cannon-ball.
from a descent Of a hundred feet or more.
Under H. goes. To emerge thirty or forty yards
distant with his craw laden with fish. He too.
in little while becomes satiatcd. and must rest
content To float upon the brine or else disgorge
his r"past. AS stated. he cannot dive from his
position on the waters surface like the pleas
ant. so If molested or frightened he Immediately
begins to dsgorgc one by one his piscatoty
prisoners.
A few days since. in a little launch. bore
down upon one OF these marauders Ia view his
| antltS. Onc Dy one cIeNen large nltUIducu we're
vomitcd. and then he took flight. This large
gull swallow shad and many fifteen
| nenhade1 have been found intact within ones
! craw. The ClnDet is termed the scaNenger f
| the among water fowl. and is worthless tn
man. Nor is the pheasant paatabe when feed
! ing upon hsh. but at other seasons makes L
very nice dish. Nevertheless. while these birds
destroy countless millions Of fish. il is Fortunes
decree that few species. save the mcnhaden. be
come their prey. This We suppose is because
of that hsh's sluggshness and his propensity 10
keep at the surface
| THE RAVENOUS BLUEFISH
The greatest enemy 10 the best ~ ecies Of fish
| Is found in the vicious voracious and dangerc -
blueish. In size. ordinarily as long as your arm.
with teeth like barbs he can snap in halves a
fisii II his size. and nearly all fish stand III
mortal dread Of him Generally travelling IN
schools sometimes as much five miles IN
length they will in short oider decinatc /
school of shai spot. monhaden or such Tx. II
his stomach can De found numbers of smaller
fish according 10 size. We have opened one
/ hich contained Il trout of almost his own size.
! while another contained sliad nearly as large.
Stin others are found having within themselves
more of their own species II smaller size.
fut their d disturbances does not end here.
We have sen them behIk a school ~ shad.
/ spot mcnhad,n and -,.heti'nes schools II
mackeryl and cod swapping ard sldshinE their
prey until the water was all afcam. They lat
until they can hold more. but their vicious
ness is not abatcd. With snap shad is sum
ID and spit out. ard ihc next shares the
same fate. They never TIRE. and the fish de-
stroycd bG: uneaj"n. cover the surface OF the
. atrr.
without ules,ion the blreish is by far the
greatest ra,to - be Tc'koued vita. consider
in. I'll, preservation IL oar food fishes. But
mans EFFORT seems t. bee fUtiir in his cxtinc-
ton or Punishment. Ncts will not LnId him. md
only the stoutr,t line 1or h" j. game" in every
.ns. OF the word). projected with metal about
tn" hook will withstand his Vicious swapping.