VIII 



SOME MONSTERS 



In the verandah, notably Murderer's Row, at Punta Rassa, the 

 evenings are whiled away over the cigars with marvellous stories 



of monsters. There was much talk of a certain 



Fish Yams. 

 Devil's Ray that is 20 feet across and weighs any- 

 thing up to a ton. These creatures are to be taken by the har- 

 poon, and there were samples of that form of tackle on board Mrs. 

 Stagg's yacht. From the few clear statements I could gather I 

 conclude that this undoubtedly must be Ceratoptera vainpynis. 



As to tarpon, my biggest of 128 lbs., and Mrs. Stagg's 

 of 205 lbs., were mere dwarfs compared with the fish which 

 was said to have leaped on board a steamer between Fort 

 Myers and Punta Gorda, and smashed in the galley door as 

 if it had been made of cardboard. Another yarn was that 

 an angler hooked, played, and lost a tarpon in the river, 



