i88cd Fishes of Southern California 



from San Diego; afterward she associated herself 

 with her husband's work on the fishes of that region 

 and, later, on those of Brazil. 



From San Diego we moved up to Wilmington, 

 which adjoins San Pedro, and there daily overhauled 

 the boats of the Portuguese fishermen who work 

 between the latter town and Santa Catalina Island. 

 Wilmington proved an excellent place for our pur- 

 poses, though it was then a bit crude socially. 



Santa Catalina itself, with its settlement of Avalon, soon Big game 

 afterward became the most noted center of big-game fishing fishing 

 in the world. About it swarm the great Leaping Tuna or a und 

 Tunny Thunnus thynnus which reaches a weight of six 

 hundred pounds or more, and takes the hook mightily; the 

 Albacore Germo alalonga of about twenty pounds and 

 with long, ribbon-like pectoral fins; the Swordfish Xiphias 

 gladius identical with the giant Swordfish of the Atlantic; 

 the Marlinspike-fish Tetrapturus mitsukurii a smaller edi- 

 tion of the Swordfish, but still mighty; the Yellow-fin Tuna 

 Germo macropterus a common fish of Japan; the huge 

 Bass or "Jewfish" Stereolepis gigas; and the swift Yellow- 

 tail or Amber-fish Seriola dorsalis. The famous Tuna is 

 coarse and oily, but the Swordfish is highly valued as food. 

 The Yellowtail is also excellent, and the Albacore has delicate 

 white flesh of a rich flavor, so that lately it has been extensively 

 canned (tinned) under the name of Tuna, unfortunate be- 

 cause incorrect. 



The Barracuda Sphyrcena argentea a game fish of smaller 

 size but toothsome flavor, should also be counted among the 

 treasures of Avalon. 



On the whitewashed walls of our little laboratory 

 in Wilmington, Gilbert and I by turns contributed 

 to a string of incongruous verses, written in moments 

 of desperation, during the prevalence of the rainy 

 season, and here reproduced for old times' sake. 



C 205 3 



