GAME FISH OF FLORIDA. 03 



sport. In Victor Hugo s romance, the name devil-fish, 

 which belongs to this ray, is wrongly bestowed upon the 

 octopus, or cuttle-fish. This great ray, when propelling 

 itself through the water with its immense pectoral fins, 

 which look like the wings of a bat, is a wonderful sight. 

 On its head are two horns, which, with its long tail, 

 complete the resemblance to his satanic majesty. This 

 is a fish, and the cuttle is not. 



I hear often from the natives of two large and valua 

 ble fishes of these waters, which, from their great size 

 and activity, are seldom caught the jew-fish and the 

 tarpum. The jew-fish seems to be a near relative of the 

 grouper, and to belong, like it, to the perch family. It is a 

 ehort, thick-set fish, with large fins, and looks like a giant 

 black bass or a tautog ; color, olive brown ; scales small, 

 head large, with well developed mouth and numerous 

 small teeth. The first dorsal fin has eleven spines ; 

 second dorsal, soft ; anal fin long, like the esocidae. 

 When hooked it runs for a hole, like a grouper. Speci 

 mens have been taken in these waters on a shark line, 

 which weighed two or three hundred pounds, so that I 

 think it must be the larger of the percoids. The flesh 

 is rich and well flavored, and as I have only seen this 

 one specimen in four winters fishing here, I think it 

 must be a rare fish. 



The tarpum I have not seen. It also is rare, and is 

 described to belong to the mackerel family, growing to 

 the weight of 80 to 100 Ibs. A surface fish, very active 

 and strong, with brilliant silvery scales the size of a 

 dollar. It is rarely taken with hook and line, as it 

 generally carries away the tackle, however strong. It 

 goes in schools, and leaps from the water when struck, 

 either with hook or spear. The only successful way of 



