CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



203 



species Luvartis impcrialis Rafinesque, 

 once previously recorded from Catalina 

 Island by Jordan & Starks in 1906 (as 

 taken by Dr. C. F. Holder). It was an 

 exceedingly active fish and very difficult 

 to handle, although the small mouth and 

 fine bristle-like teeth do not indicate 

 predaceous habits.— W. F. T. 



THE ABSENCE OF THE DOLPHIN 

 FISH. 



In 1918 the dolphin fish, Coryphwna, 

 was frequently taken in local waters, and 

 this fact was' then often cited as evidence 

 of a bad year for the fishing of albacore. 

 However, this year the dolphin has not 

 yet been in evidence (September 15), as 

 far as we are able to determine, although 

 the albacore season is far from normal. 

 Indeed, the similarity between 1918 and 

 1919 is marked, the skipjacks (Euthyn- 

 niis) having been running in quantity as 

 they did last year, the frigate mackerel 

 having appeared again, and the year being 

 remarkable as before for the predominance 

 of the tunas.— W. F. T. 



TWO RARE FISHES. 



To the lists of fish, new or rare in 

 southern California waters, previously 

 published may be added two species which 

 came to the laboratory in June. 



Four specimens of the pomfret, Brama 

 rati (Bloch), were taken from a gill net 

 near San Pedro by Mr. E. M. Nielson. 

 The pomfret is an excellent food fish 

 found in open seas, widely distributed, 

 but taken only occasionally on our eastern 

 or western coasts or in Europe. 



Several specimens of Cololabis saira 

 (Brevoort) were sent to us from San 

 Diego by Mr. P. B. Olark, where they 

 were taken along with a school of sar- 

 dines in a round-haul net. The species is 

 recorded from several localities on our 

 California coast but is said to be very 

 rare. This same species is occasionally 

 found in large schools 'n Japan. — E. H. 



THE "DAY" AND "NIGHT" SURF- 

 FISHES OF NORTHERN CALI- 

 FORNIA. 



Captain A. C. Tibbetts of Eureka, 

 California, writes to the undersigned as 

 follows : 



" * * * state that the 'grunion' is 

 the fish known here as the 'night surf- 



fish.' There is another known as the 

 'day surf-fish,' both varieties being caught 

 in dip nets, in the same locality, viz, 

 between Trinidad and Mad River. The 

 Indians catch and dry these in large 

 quantities. The 'day-fish' is larger than 

 the 'night-fish,' has a yellowish tinge, the 

 flesh is softer, and to my taste is inferior 

 to the 'night-fish.' On the ninth instant 

 (of August) I saw both kinds on sale at 

 one of the Eureka markets. Small 

 coasters running to the Klamath River 

 bring occasionally to this place what is 

 termed 'candle-fish.' These, even when 

 salted and smoked, bum freely if a lighted 

 match is applied to the tail. The Klamath 

 River, as far as I know, is the only 

 stream near here that furnishes this fish. 

 All three of the above fishes have the 

 appearance of smelt." 



One of these species is Thaleichthys 

 pacificHS, the eulachon or candle fish ; 

 another is probably Hypomesus pretiosits, 

 the surf-smelt, but we are not at all sure 

 that the third is the grunion, Leuresthcs 

 tenuis. Both Mallotus villosus, the cape- 

 lin, and Leuresthes tenuis are surf 

 spawners and might possibly occur, and 

 as the latter has not as yet been re- 

 corded north of Long Beach, considerable 

 caution should be used in reaching a de- 

 cision.— W. F. T. 



THE OCCURRENCE OF THE ALBA- 

 CORE NORTH OF SAN FRANCISCO. 



Captain A. C. Tibbetts has also in- 

 formed us that on September 22, 1884, he 

 captured three albacore off the northern 

 coast of California. His letter reads, in 

 part as follows : 



"While in command of the schooner 

 'Volant,' I was coming from the west- 

 ward, bound for Humboldt Bay, and in- 

 stead of getting northerly winds as ex- 

 pected at this time of year, the wind 

 canr^ in fresh from the southward, in- 

 creasing to a strong southeaster as we 

 approached the coast, resulting in our 

 closing with the land to northward as 

 well as to leeward of our port. The wind 

 after some hours moderated, and changed 

 to light northwest. While running for 

 Humboldt Bar, at four to five knots 

 speed, somewhere between Redding Rock 

 ana Trinidad Head, I noticed fish working 

 the same as they sometimes do on the 

 coast of southern California, and out of 

 curiosity threw a cod line with a white 

 rag on the hook over the stern, and when 

 the line straightened out got an albacore. 

 Caught three, as fast as they could be 

 unhooked and the line put out again. 

 The fish appeared to be abundant, but 

 those taken were dirtying things up 

 around the after part of the deck, so 

 fishing was stopped." 



