26 THE TARPON 



"The four examples are from Hucares, from 7.5 to 11.5 

 inches long, and were seined in a small brackish pool of 

 dark-colored water not over five feet deep in the corner 

 of a mangrove swamp and at that time (February) en- 

 tirely separated from the Ocean by a narrow strip of 

 land scarcely twenty-five feet wide. The thirteen others 

 are nearly all very young of 2.25 to 3.25 inches collected 

 at Fajardo. No large individuals were seen." 

 Fajardo is on a coast poorly protected against the northeast 

 trade winds. 



As these fish were obviously very young the evidence af- 

 forded by their capture at Puerto Rico as bearing upon the 

 breeding place of the fish is significant. Gill states that all of 

 these fish were the young of the first year. 



In March 1902, Eigenmann and Riddle collected fish in Cuba. 

 I quote from their report in Vol. XXII (1902) at page 222 of 

 the publications of the United States Fish Commission. 



''Elopidae 



TARPON ATLANTICUS 



Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



"Pinar Del Rio, 4 specimens 20—119—182 and 192 mm. 

 from a deep pool beneath the wagon bridge, many miles 

 from the sea. They are locally known as ' Sadina ' and we 

 had been told that we should find them in this spot. ' ' 

 I endeavored to locate the specimen reported by these gen- 

 tlemen to be only 20 m.m. long, which is less than an inch. Two 

 of the larger fish they collected are now in the California 

 Academy of Sciences but the one sought could not be found. 

 It may not have been preserved by Dr. Eigenmann, which is a 

 pity. It is somewhat strange that the Doctor and his associate 

 did not appreciate the value of their discovery. 



Margaret Storey and Louise M. Perry report that in April 

 1934, a tarpon 8.46 cm. (3.33 inches) was captured in a large 

 brackish pool on Sanibel Island, situated in Lee Countj^, Flor- 



