FISHES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 161 



ly of like qualities in the salmon, black bass, striped bass and brook 

 trout, he rated the first at five and the four latter at one. 



This fish is common in Florida, its habitat extending from Texas 

 to the Georgia line, and possibly further north. At the mouth of the 

 St. Johns River it is known as the jew fish ; at some points as the 

 silver fish. By Captain Romans, the orthography used was tarpum, 

 and this has been adopted by " S. C. C ; " and I find it spelled tar- 

 pum in the report of the United States Fish Commission for 1880. 

 This fish is very common on the South West Coast of Florida where 

 it is known as tarpon. It was- deemed advisable to change the name 

 of Salt Spring, a tributary of the Anclote River, and owing to the 

 great number of this fish visiting it, it has been named Tarpon 

 Spring. The authority for the use of the word tarpum is as old as 

 Captain Romans ; but, in my wanderings in this State, I found the 

 tish called tarpon and not tarpum, and I use the former term, claim- 

 ing that the most common name in use should be adopted. 



In its habits, the tarpon differs in different localities. In the St. 

 Johns River they put in an appearance in June, and leave in October* 

 for warmer waters and pastures new. It is probable that they follow 

 the coast line to the southward in the autumn, and winter among the 

 Florida Keys. They can be found at all seasons in the streams of the 

 southeast and southwest portions of the State. A friend who spent 

 the last two winters collecting in Estero Bay, informed me that they 

 entered the bay on the flood and left it on the ebb tide. In many of 

 the streams of Southwest Florida, they seem to be residents, and do 

 not visit the lower and salty portions. A majority of these fish 

 summering in the St. Johns River, enter the stream on the flood, and 

 leave it on the ebb tide, probably spending a short time between 

 the tides, about the bar or the shoals at the mouth of the river. Mile 

 Point one mile above Mayport, Shell Bank below Mount Caroline, 

 and the Back Channel east of Dames Point Light, seem to be fa- 

 vorite haunts of the tarpon, that do not leave the river on the ebb 

 tide. 



On one occasion, I was anchored over-night near Mile Point, and 

 an immense number of moss bunkers had collected in the eddy astern 

 of my boat. It appeared to me that hundreds of tarpon had gather- 



