128 CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA 



fish is peculiar to Southern Cahfornia and immediate 

 vicinity. It breeds about the islands, in Avalon Bay, 

 where I have seen the young not bigger than grass- 

 hoppers. The baitmen trap it at night in nets set 

 near shore. 



The flier (which is not a flier, but a soarer) is a timid 

 weakling; often, the moment it touches the net it gives 

 up and turns over. The high flight of a school of 

 hundreds before a ravenous horde of tunas or yellow- 

 tails is a marvellous spectacle. 



A large electric ray is found here, which at times 

 startles anglers. In the kelp is a big "frog" fish, 

 which so mimics the weed that it is almost impossible 

 to see it. Dr. Jordan found a new species, which he 

 named after Avalon. In the deep cafion-like channel 

 which lies between the islands and the mainland, some 

 extraordinary fishes have been found by the U. S. 

 Fish Commission. 



Among the interesting things I have observed in 

 the aquarium at Santa Catalina was the building of 

 a nest by the kelp-fish, two of which were kept in a 

 small tank. The larger kelp-fish, a female, was about 

 nine inches in length; the male measured about five 

 inches. I was attracted by the savage attacks of the 

 male on a stranger; investigation showed that he was 

 in nuptial colors and was devoted to the female. The 

 offending fish was removed, giving the kelp-fishes the 

 entire tank. All the colors of the male fish were accen- 

 tuated and brilliant. What had been white was now 

 lavender and silver; the dark angles of the zigzag bar- 

 ring took on darker tints and were emphasized by 

 countless lines of lavender, yellow, blue, and gold; 

 patches of silver, old rose, lavender, and white appeared 



