356 Miscellaneous. 
At Gadsden Point about the same species appeared; whileat Tampa 
I saw but few dead fish, and they were principally gars and catfish. 
From Tampa I proceeded to the mouth of the Little Manatee to 
obtain some information from Mrs. Hoy concerning her theory 
accounting for the death of the fishes. I subsequently visited the 
towns of Manatee, Palmetto, Bradentown, and proceeded thence to 
Hunter’s Point, in Sarasota Pass, Longboat Inlet being the furthest 
point south visited. Returning, I spent several days on Anna Maria 
Key, where I collected the skulls of several kinds of fish ; thence, 
passing northward by way of Passage Key, Egmont, Mullet Key, 
and so on back to Clear Water. From Longboat Inlet round to 
Mullet Key, the dead fish were principally mullet, catfish, eels, and 
groupers, the mullet preponderating at least ten to one. Puff-fish, 
toad-fish, cow-fish, and frog-fish were still extremely plentiful; in- 
deed, I saw no diminution in their numbers, though the numbers of 
dead mullet had increased very greatly. 
I saw many fish in every stage of sickness, from the first attack 
to the end. All were affected in nearly the same manner. The 
fish, apparently active and healthy, would be swimming along, when 
suddenly it would turn on its side and shoot up to the top of the 
water, gasping as though out of the water, apparently unable to 
control its motions, often lying on its side on the bottom for five or 
ten minutes motionless, then suddenly shooting hither and thither 
without aim or object, and finally ending the struggle on the surface 
and floating off dead. Whole schools of mullet would suddenly 
stand upright on their tails, spouting water, and die in five minutes. 
Gars would run for a long time with their snouts above the water, 
and then lie motionless, as if dead, for ten or fifteen minutes. These 
generally lived an hour or more after being attacked. 1 obtained 
specimens of water from various localities, which I send herewith, 
marked to show whence obtained. 
Before giving the statements of others in regard to the matter, I 
will give you the results of my own observation in a very brief 
manner :— 
1. The dead fish were most numerous on the outside beaches and 
on the inside beaches of the outer line of keys. 
2. The dead fish were least numerous about the mouths of creeks 
and rivers, decreasing gradually as one approached such places. ~ 
3. The poisoned water was not diffused generally, but ran in 
streams of various sizes, as proven by fish dying in vast numbers 
instantly upon reaching such localities. 
4. The fish were killed by a specific poison, as proven by the 
sickness and death of birds which ate of the dead fish. 
5. The fish began dying on the outside beaches first, as Mr. Strand, 
assistant light-keeper at Egmont, reports them coming up first on 
the 17th of October, while Mrs. Hoy observed them first on the Ist 
or 2nd of November, at Little Manatee river. 
6. The examination of many hundred recently-dead fish revealed 
no signs of disease. The colours were bright, the flesh firm, and the 
gills rosy. The stomach and intestines appeared healthy. 
