THE liLACK GROUPER. 



THE GROUPERS AND THE JEW FISH. 



Hugest of all are fish in sea 



For they were formed by heaven's great King 



Before all other earthly thing. 



The Voyage of St. Brandon (Mediaeval) 



' I "'HE various species of Grouper are already of importance, and will be 

 still more highly appreciated by the anglers of future generations. 

 They are members of the genus Epinephehis, and other closely related 

 genera. The Red Grouper, Epinephehis morio, is a large species, some- 

 times attaining the weight of forty or fifty pounds. There is no certain 

 record of its having been captured north of Florida, where it is called the 

 "Brown Snapper" or "Red-bellied Snapper." DeKay, writing in 1842, 

 stated that it was not unusual in the New York market in June and July, 

 where it was called by the fishermen ' Groper,' or ' Red Crroper '; that it 

 is a Southern species and is brought from the reefs of Florida, but that he 

 had been informed by West Indian fishermen that it is occasionally, but 

 rarely, taken off the coast of New York : he added that Dr. Holbrook in- 

 formed him that it was brought into the Charleston markets from Florida 

 in the months of January, February, and March. 



Holbrook wrote : " The Grouper is so seldom seen on our coast that 

 nothing can at this time be said of its habits ; but in confinement, as it is 

 brought to us from Key West, it appears very voracious and bold, taking 



