THE TARPON. 12/ 



enced boatmen, who have been engaged on the south gulf 

 coast regularly for years, say that when hungry the Tarpon 

 would bite at almost any kind of bait, provided it was fresh. 

 One gentleman told me this past season that he had seen 

 two Tarpon cut open, the stomachs of which were filled with 

 hard-shell crabs. Another observer tells me he has seen Tar- 

 pon feeding, presumably, upon some sort of shrimp in a most 

 peculiar manner. He says he has frequently observed them 

 in shallow water, standing apparently on their heads. In 

 reality, though, their mouths were buried in the sand extract- 

 ing some kind of food. This odd position while feeding may 

 be due to the peculiar location of the mouth. It is upon the 

 upper side of the head. Some Tarpon anglers have expressed 

 the belief that they take the bait in a similar manner. 



In this connection it may be apropos to relate an inci- 

 dent which occurred below Naples last winter, and which 

 will illustrate what the Tarpon will do when he is hungry, 

 and at the same time shows his jumping proclivities. When 

 the facts first reached my ears I scarcely credited them. After- 

 ward they were substantiated by Doctor Green, a reputable 

 gentleman and an excellent physician. Naples is situated on a 

 narrow strip of land, washed on the west by the open gulf, and 

 on the east by an inside passage which commences at the 

 head of Gordon's River and widens into the Bay of Naples. 

 This strip, which varies in width from one to two or three 

 miles, extends twelve or fourteen miles, being broken at 

 several points by inlets from the gulf. The Tarpon frequents 

 the inside passage, which, being well protected from the 

 storms and heavy winds of the gulf, always affords safe and 

 accessible fishing-grounds. About eight miles down, last 

 winter, on the mainland, there was an alligator-hunters' camp 

 whose presiding genius was "Uncle" Charlie Cross. "Uncle" 

 Charlie, it seems, was advanced in years, and looked after 

 camp supplies, etc., rather than being engaged in the arduous 

 and sometimes dangerous occupation of "'gatorin'." He 



