The Haunts of the Black Sea-Bass 



side, covering boat and men with flying 

 spray with strokes of its powerful tail. 



" It is a small one," ejaculates my man, 

 wiping the spray from his face. Imagine 

 a small-mouthed black bass enlarged, rilled 

 out in every direction until it was six feet 

 long, and plump in proportion ; tint it in 

 rich dark hues, almost black, with a lighter 

 spot between the pectoral fins ; give it a 

 pair of eyes as large as those of an ox, pow- 

 erful fins and tail, a massive head, ponder- 

 ous, almost toothless jaws, and you have 

 the black sea-bass, or Jew fish - - the best 

 fighter, the largest bony fish in Pacific 

 waters. Too large to be taken into the 

 boat, it had to be towed in ; and finally, 

 after being stunned with an axe after the 

 quieting method applied to muskallonge 

 in the St. Lawrence, we got under way, 

 the huge body floating uncomfortably be- 

 hind, materially retarding the progress. 



The entry to Avalon Harbor was one of 

 triumph, as at that season the capture of a 

 black sea-bass was a new thing to visitors ; 

 and as the magnificent creature was hauled 

 up on the sands by willing hands, the en- 

 tire population gathered about to listen to 

 the details of the sport. Then came the 

 weighing. " Three hundred and forty- 

 two and a half, sir," said a Mexican youth 



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