﻿THE 
  FISHERIES 
  OP 
  INDIAN 
  RIVER, 
  FLORIDA. 
  227 
  

  

  tliem. 
  The 
  limit 
  at 
  one 
  mile 
  scarcely 
  covers 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  too 
  easy 
  cap- 
  

   ture, 
  and 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  extended 
  rather 
  than 
  made 
  less. 
  

  

  Every 
  fisherman 
  should 
  interest 
  himself 
  iu 
  seeinii' 
  that 
  this 
  law 
  is 
  not 
  

   violated, 
  and 
  the 
  wisdom 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  will 
  be 
  fully 
  demonstrated. 
  

   Very 
  respectfully, 
  

  

  J. 
  J. 
  Beice, 
  Commissioner. 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  President 
  op 
  the 
  Senate. 
  

  

  INDIAN 
  RIVER 
  AND 
  ITS 
  FISHES. 
  

  

  By 
  Barton 
  W. 
  Evekmann 
  and 
  Barton 
  A. 
  Bkan. 
  

  

  THE 
  PHYSICAL 
  FEATURES 
  OF 
  INDIAN 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  General 
  description. 
  — 
  Indian 
  River 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  river 
  at 
  all, 
  but 
  a 
  long, 
  

   narrow, 
  and 
  shallow 
  salt-water 
  lagoon 
  or 
  sound 
  extending 
  along 
  the 
  

   east 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  from 
  latitude 
  28° 
  47' 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  to 
  2G° 
  58' 
  on 
  

   the 
  south. 
  Its 
  entire 
  length 
  is 
  about 
  135 
  miles. 
  From 
  the 
  sea 
  it 
  is 
  

   separated 
  by 
  a 
  long 
  and 
  narrow 
  strip 
  of 
  land 
  which 
  rises 
  nowhere 
  more 
  

   than 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  water. 
  Its 
  width 
  varies 
  from 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  

   rods 
  at 
  Jujiiter 
  jSTarrows 
  to 
  5 
  or 
  6 
  miles 
  just 
  below 
  Titusville. 
  The 
  

   water 
  is 
  usually 
  very 
  shallow, 
  the 
  depth 
  varying 
  from 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  feet 
  to 
  17 
  

   feet, 
  rarely, 
  however, 
  exceeding 
  8 
  to 
  12 
  feet. 
  

  

  Just 
  below 
  Titusville 
  is 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  jNIerritt 
  Island, 
  a 
  long, 
  tri- 
  

   angular 
  island, 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  land 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  by 
  Banana 
  Creek 
  

   and 
  tapering 
  southward 
  in 
  a 
  long, 
  slender 
  point 
  which 
  extends 
  almost 
  

   to 
  Eau 
  Gallic, 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  30 
  miles. 
  East 
  of 
  this 
  island 
  is 
  Banana 
  

   Eiver, 
  connecting 
  with 
  Banana 
  Creek 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  with 
  Indian 
  

   River 
  opposite 
  Eau 
  Gallic. 
  East 
  of 
  Banana 
  River 
  is 
  the 
  long 
  and 
  

   narrow 
  outlying 
  sandy 
  island 
  which 
  extends 
  throughout 
  the 
  greater 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  east 
  Florida 
  coast. 
  

  

  Opposite 
  Titusville 
  Indian 
  River 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  mile 
  in 
  Avidth 
  and 
  the 
  

   depth 
  ranges 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  12 
  feet. 
  A 
  few 
  rods 
  above 
  Titusville 
  a 
  depth 
  

   of 
  16 
  feet 
  is 
  found 
  off 
  Sand 
  Point, 
  this 
  being 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  depths 
  

   given 
  on 
  the 
  Coast 
  Survey 
  charts. 
  Above 
  Titusville 
  the 
  river 
  gradu- 
  

   ally 
  widens 
  to 
  14 
  miles 
  and 
  then 
  suddenly 
  expands 
  to 
  3 
  miles 
  in 
  width. 
  

   The 
  depth 
  iu 
  this 
  portion 
  rarely 
  exceeds 
  5 
  or 
  6 
  feet 
  and 
  iu 
  many 
  places 
  

   is 
  not 
  over 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  feet. 
  Below 
  Titusville 
  the 
  river 
  widens 
  rapidly 
  

   until 
  a 
  width 
  of 
  about 
  5i 
  miles 
  is 
  attained 
  opposite 
  tlie 
  head 
  of 
  Merritt 
  

   Island 
  proper. 
  The 
  depth 
  also 
  increases 
  somewhat, 
  the 
  average 
  being 
  

  

  