II ON THE FISHING GROUNDS 13 



great deal was known of the fish as providing grand sport with 



the rod and line. Indeed, some notes contributed by Mr. 



Stearns may be interesting to quote upon the point, as, in 



some respects, showing the somewhat imperfect knowledge 



which existed upon the subject within comparatively recent 



times : — 



The Silver Fish, or Grande Ecaille, is common everywhere on the 

 Gulf coast. It is an immense and active fish, preying eagerly upon 

 schools of young fry, or any small fish that it is able to receive into its 

 mouth, and in pursuit of which it ascends fresh-water rivers quite a long 

 distance. During September 1879 I saw large numbers of Silver fish 

 eight or ten miles up the Apalachicola River, and am told that that was 

 not an unusual occurrence. They go up the Homosassa River in 

 Florida, and several of the Texas rivers, so I have subsequently learned. 

 The Tarpum will take a baited hook, but it is difficult to handle, and 

 seldom landed. The Pensacola seine fishermen dread it while dragging 

 their seines, for they have known of persons having been killed or 

 severely injured by its leaping against them from the seine in which it 

 was enclosed. Even when it does not jump over the cork line of a 

 seine, it is quite likely to break through the netting before landed. I 

 have secured several specimens, the smallest of which weighed 30 lbs., 

 and the largest about 75 lbs. The Tarpum is said to be palatable and 

 well flavoured. 



Professor Goode adds that the sailors' name for the fish at 

 Key West, Bermuda, Georgia, and elsewhere, was tarpum or 

 tarpon, while in Florida it was commonly called Jew fish. 



