MONSTER BLACK BASS 



A Monster Black Bass. 



\\"e here present an impressive illus- 

 tration of a monster 1 kicK bass that was 

 taken with ordinary roi and reel. For 

 the illustration we are indebted to an 

 interesting" article by Professor Fred- 

 erick Flolder in the "'Outer's Book." The 

 author tells its of the joy of seeing- one 

 of these ponderous fellows and how it 

 eyed the bait. 



"The l)Iack sea bass, or Stcrcolepis 

 gigas, as the scientific men call him, is 

 a ponderous fellow, yet 1 jncture him as 

 a most graceful creature. Only the day 

 before Pinchot and I had been drifting 

 over a great rock which rose from the 

 slope of the sea mountain in deep water. 

 I was lying fiat on the deck, gazing down 

 into the depths, wondering at the vari- 

 ants of blue, the splendid tone that ap- 

 peared to pervade everything, when sud- 

 denly I became aware that 1 was looking 

 directly at something moving. It w-as 

 tinted blue, the same hue as the sea, and 

 the algae-covered rock ; then I saw that 

 I was looking at a big black sea bass in 

 its native lair, not ten feet below me and 

 as distinct as though it had been laid oitt 

 on the beach. 



'T called the attention of my com- 

 panion to it, and for several minutes we 

 watched the 'king of the bass.' My bait 

 was in a cleft of the rock and doubtless 

 the fish had scented it like a hound. Its 

 movements suggested caution, suspicion 

 and cunning to a more remarkable de- 

 gree than I should have believed. 



"Such a monster of a, fish, at least five 

 or six feet in length and proportionately 

 robust, might have been supposed to 

 have an appetite to correspond and to 

 have rushed at the lure, a shining sar- 

 dine ; yet it did exactly the reverse. It 

 would come up out of the blue waters, 

 swim along with the greatest dignity, 

 passing over the bait, then return, eyeing 

 it coyly, with all the cleverness a trout 

 is supposed to possess, all in all, present- 

 ing an attractive and fascinating spec- 

 tacle." 



Professor Holder says that some of 

 the largest bass are captured with rod 

 and reel. "Even ladies have taken some 

 of the largest bass ever|hooked, as ]Mrs. 

 Everett of Eos Angeles, who landed 

 w'ith rod and reel a colossus which 

 weighed four hundred and sixteen 

 pounds. I once had the pleasure of see- 

 ing her play one nearly as large." 



Think of playing with ordinary rod 

 and reel a fish weighing almost a quarter 

 of a ton. 



Fear of Our Woods. 



V.y KATIIERYXE SIKKIXG, SECRETARY 



EOUISVILLE girls' HIGH SCHOOL 



CHAPTER, LOUISVILLE, KY. 



Tliere are few dangers in the Ken- 

 tucky woodlands, and these few may be 

 easil}' overcome. It is impossible for us 

 to enjoy the woods until we have driven 

 these fears "into the dark of the moon." 



We, the pitrsuers, often become pur- 

 sued and driven back to the well-worn 

 footpath. Every time a bird cries in 

 alarm or a mouse squeaks in pain, or a 

 rabbit leaps in fear from beneath our 

 feet, we too, jump and run if our fears 

 are not allayed. From those who fear 

 the woods, nature withholds her mys- 

 teries. 



Let us go into the woodland wdth one 

 who knows its dangers. We go boldly 

 ahead until the woods become denser ; 

 here the tree trunks are enveloped in a 

 mass of hard stems from which hangs a 

 three-leaved foliage ; in the axil of those 

 leaves are dull whitish berries. The 

 leader calls out in alarm as some one 

 starts toward the vine. What is the 

 trouble? Only poison ivy, harmless if 

 you keep away from it. 



At another time we walk near a 

 swampy tract where one plant in par- 

 ticular predominates. So beautiful is it 

 that we are tempted to fill our arms with 

 its brilliantly colored leaves. Our de- 

 sire is a rash one, for this, with its dull 

 gray bark, red leaf-stalks, feather-veined 

 leaves, rather far apart with the bright 

 red berries, is the poison dogwood, the 

 most dangerous plant .of our coimtry. 



If we cared to know the plants the 

 wood fear could be blotted out in a short 

 time. \\'e might go to a botany or a 

 plant guidebook and read of the struc- 

 ture of the poisonous plants, but such 

 plants are not so well remembered -as 

 when observed in the woods. There are 

 several magazines in wdiich we can find 

 such things discussed in so original a 

 way that we soon learn to know them. 

 As a suggestion, ask for a copy of The 

 Guide to Nature. - What is this? A 

 magazine, best described by this quota- 

 tion : "Slie leads in beauty and interest 

 from homes to nature's realms." 



