THE LONG-FINNED TUNA 181 



this region of deep blues Vv^ith dazzling brilliancy. Some- 

 times this peridinium increases its numbers in a remark- 

 able way, covering the ocean with what is known as 

 "red water." This collects near shore, as in 1902, 

 when it made such a remarkable demonstration at 

 night that people went from the interior to see it. 

 Some of the papers of the day described it as the result 

 of an earthquake. At night the entire Santa Catalina 

 Channel seemed to be changed into a caldron of light, 

 as ominous as beautiful to the ignorant. Where the 

 animals were washed ashore every mark or imprint, 

 as a footprint in the sand, left a vivid luminous train. 

 I saw a dog trotting along the beach, lea\'ing round 

 luminous marks, and as I wrote my name in the sand 

 with my cane it came out in letters of light. I took a 

 Httle of the water in a bottle to Pasadena to show some 

 doubting friends. Wlien the bottle was uncovered 

 there was nothing to be seen, but when I took it 

 into a dark room and shook it violently it blazed up 

 with so vivid a light that I could almost read large 

 print by it. 



The chief ground for the long-finned tuna lies about 

 two miles directly off Avalon Bay, which might sug- 

 gest that they could be found an}n\diere in deep water; 

 but this does not follow. For some reason they seem 

 to affect this region more than any other. Possibly 

 it is the smooth water. By going a httle more to the 

 southeast we can find the perfect lee of the island, 

 where it is often as smooth as glass for hours and days 

 at a time. 



In the morning, or practically at any time, the well- 

 equipped launch sails out of the bay, and the two 

 anglers unreel their lines for albacore. Before the best 



