64 THE TARPON 



in Badminton Magazine (1895) describing the so-called Ox 

 Eye herring around Australia says it is there considered most 

 excellent eating. 



In a very interesting and early article entitled "Tarpon 

 Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico," written by Thomas C. Felton 

 in Outing (1887), he says : 



"The tarpon is, when freshly caught, of good quality 



upon the table. He may be served in any of the following 



manners : fried in steaks, boiled with butter and egg sauce 



like halibut or cod, or baked with stuffing and brown 



sauce." 



But it will be observed that the author refrains from stating 



that he ever tried to eat the fish in any style. I have had this 



experience. 



Aside from the angler the adult tarpon has no enemy worth 

 considering save the sharks with which it has occupied the same 

 waters for thousands of years. This indicates that it is very 

 difficult for a shark to kill a tarpon in normal condition. Every 

 angler of experience has observed a shark attack a tarpon 

 while it is struggling against the angler's efforts to capture it. 

 Even if the tarpon is tired and somewhat logy from its exer- 

 tions it will usually outrun the shark if given a free line. It, 

 therefore, seems clear that sharks do not destroy many healthy 

 and vigorous fish. 



Dr. Gaines informed me in June 1936 that he was advised 

 porpoise would devour tarpon and that several persons had 

 seen this occur at the basin at Tampa, where he keeps his 

 motor boat. I asked Mr. W. J. Leiman, of Tampa, to verify 

 this fact. He wrote me June 11, 1936, in part as follows : 



*'0n May 31, between 4 and 5 P. M. and also on June 5 

 during the same hours, no less than eight people, all of 

 whom are familiar with both porpoise and tarpon, saw the 

 porpoise knock several tarpon out of the water and catch 

 them." 



