Very little has been written on the scientific side. The 

 anglers who have caught hundreds of tarpon rarely venture 

 into print although there are notable exceptions, like Endicott 

 and Heilner. Usually the enthusiastic angler catches a few 

 fish and hastens to give the world the benefit of his experience. 

 These articles serve to amuse even if they do not instruct the 

 veteran angler. 



The fugitive literature relating to the tarpon is extensive; 

 but no American book dealing exclusively with this fish has 

 been produced since Dimock wrote his classic over twenty 

 years ago. That book, although charmingly written, pictures 

 tarpon angling as a great adventure filled with hair-breadth 

 escapes and perils. Its chapters were written for the maga- 

 zines and it is now obsolete as a guide for the angler. 



I am under obligation to Dr. John A. Gaines of Tampa, 

 Florida, who contributed to the third edition an interesting 

 account of the methods which he employs. It will be found in 

 the appendix. Dr. Gaines has captured hundreds of tarpon 

 and his mature observations will repay a careful study. I am 

 indebted to Dr. F. Park Lewis, of Buffalo, the eminent author- 

 ity on the eye, who has made a careful research on the eye of 

 the tarpon. This is reprinted in the appendix. I also wish 

 to express my grateful acknowledgments to Dr. Samuel F. 

 Hildebrand, Senior Ichthyologist of the U. S. Bureau of Fish- 

 eries, and to Dr. John T. Nichols, Curator of Recent Fishes 

 of the American IMuseum of Natural History of New York, 

 for their aid and advice. When the late Dr. David Starr 

 Jordan, the great authority on fishes, learned from some 

 source unknown to me that I was interested in the life history 

 of the tarpon, he wrote me this brief note : 



"If I can be of any service to you in your fish studies, do 

 not hesitate to call upon me." 

 He responded to my requests for information with unweary- 

 ing care and patience. This letter written to a stranger dis- 

 closed his kindly nature and his desire to assist a mere stu- 

 dent in a field which he did so much to adorn. 



