MORTALITY OF FISHES, WEST COAST OF FLORIDA. 7 



However, on the 18th another violent outbreak occurred, this being much 

 more serious than tlie first, inasmuch as it had killed many large fish which did 

 not stem to be the case during the first attack. For the past few days the 

 beach lias been lined with tarpon, jewfish, grouper, and many varieties of top 

 fish wliich seemed to escape the first attack. In addition to this, many of the 

 bay fish are succumbing. The gas was very violent this time and many people 

 telephoned for medical assistance for " cold in the head," " sore throats," " cold 

 in the chest," etc.. besides coming to see the local physician, who is also the 

 United States quarantine surgeon here. I, myself, have suffered quite acutely 

 for the past five days, but the worst of the gas seems to be going now. 



I tried the dog again, and again had to take him off. I do not think he would 

 have been able to live over two hours on the beach. The fish died in a very 

 short time. I observed a mullet dying yesterday ; as the tide came into the 

 bayou the gas met him. he began to act strangely, coming to the top, whirling 

 around and around, and then sank to the bottom, lying stomach up for a little 

 while, when he turned on his side dead. Spadefish acted the same way. It is 

 now reported that the fish are dying freely in the remote bays and bayous, 

 every local variety seeming to give up its share. I have been told that many of 

 the barnacles have also died, but I can not confirm this. I have noticed that 

 the conchs and crabs are not dying, at least to any extent. * * * 



If you desire any other information as to this matter, I shall be glad to 

 furnish it if it lies in my power. I meant to state that I noticed the pungent 

 feeling of the gas particularly when a wave "broke" and believe that this will 

 explain why the top fish escaped with less visible destruction than the bottom, 

 the breaking of the wave aerating the water more or less. * * * 



The gas has none of the characteristics of H2S ; it acts with the same peculi- 

 arity of chlorine, but is odorless, perhaps is CO2; addition of lead acetate to 

 sea water gives a dense white precipitate, but am not sure but that it might do 

 that normally, precipitating lead chloride. 



The " odorless but exceedingly irritating gas," as described, was 

 not noted by the observer, but had, perhaps, already subsided. The 

 protrusion of the eyeballs was due to the accumulation of gases from 

 decay behind the orbits, as only those fishes which had been dead 

 for some time were thus affected. 



A letter from Mr. Skermer, dated November 11, 1916, reads: 



I am in receipt of your letter of the 8th instant relative to the supposed 

 presence in the Gulf waters of Peridinii in abnormal numbers. I wish to state 

 that I have not been able to learn of such conditions obtaining nor have I 

 noticed any marine growth of abnormal appearance at any time during the 

 mortality periods. However, I have inquired carefully at every opportunity 

 since the fish began to die from any person who I had reason to suppose 

 had come in contact with the dying fish as to whether he had noticed any 

 peculiarity in the water. I learned from two persons that the fish seemed 

 to die in " streaks " and sometimes in dark-colored water ; others noticed nothing 

 abnormal in the appearance of the water but did speak of the odorless but 

 exceedingly irritating gas which seemed to be liberated at intervals. * * * 



This morning I inquired of a Spanish fisherman, who lives about 7 miles 

 south of Boca Grande, as to conditions near him. He informed me that fish 

 were still dying along the Captiva Pass and inside waters of Pine Island 

 Sound. He further stated that the fish died when coming in contact with it. 

 The dark-colored water he said was in the bays and did not enter the Gulf 

 at all except at low water. From this I am inclined to believe that it is 



