AUDUBON AND RAFINESQUE 293 



As a specimen of these spurious fish stories, which 

 were previously published in both America and Europe, 

 we reproduce a part of Rafmesque's description of the 

 "91st. Species. Devil-Jack Diamond-fish. Litholepis 

 adamantinus" : 



This may be reckoned the wonder of the Ohio. It is only 

 found as far up as the falls, and probably lives also in the 

 Mississippi. I have seen it, but only at a distance, and have 

 been shown some of its singular scales. Wonderful stories are 

 related concerning this fish, but I have principally relied upon 

 the description and figure given me by Mr. Audubon. Its 

 length is from 4 to 10 feet. One was caught which weighed 

 four hundred pounds. It lies sometimes asleep or motionless 

 on the surface of the water, and may be mistaken for a log 

 or a snag. It is impossible to take it in any other way than 

 with the seine or a very strong hook, the prongs of the gig 

 cannot pierce the scales which are as hard as flint, and even 

 proof against lead balls ! Its flesh is not good to eat. It is a 

 voracious fish: Its vulgar names are Diamond fish, (owing to its 

 scales being cut like diamonds) Devil fish, Jack fish, Gar jack, 

 &c. . . . The whole body covered with large stone scales laying 

 in oblique rows, they are conical, pentagonal, and pentaedral 

 with equal sides, from half an inch to one inch in diameter, 

 brown at first, but becoming of the colour of turtle shell when 

 dry : they strike fire with steel ! and are ball proof ! 



While we cannot defend Audubon in his treatment 

 of Rafinesque, it would be hardly fair to judge such 

 incidents wholly in the light of after events, for, as our 

 narrative will show, it is unlikely that he ever saw 

 Rafinesque or heard of him again until long years after 

 this incident, certainly not until after his "Episode" 

 was published in 183 1. 8 Rafinesque evidently enjoyed 



"Probably not before October of that year, when Audubon first 

 met John Bachman, at Charleston, South Carolina. 



