The Leaping Tuna 69 



of canons, constitutes a series of traps, into which 

 they can charge the flying-fishes ; and when they 

 are feeding, they can be caught on the edge of 

 the kelp within twenty feet of the shore. The 

 tuna does not travel in a single large school. 

 That they arrive in a body is doubtless true, but 

 when once on the ground they divide into small 

 squadrons of from fifty to two hundred and are 

 apparently preparing to spawn, playing on the 

 surface, and on calm days, which are the rule in 

 spring, they can be seen for a long distance, the 

 spike dorsal out of the water, followed by the 

 upper lobe of the sharp crescent tail. They move 

 in the general form of flying ducks or geese ; 

 a large triangular figure, with one or two large 

 fishes perhaps in the lead. They are so tame 

 that a boat can approach within fifteen or twenty 

 feet of them before they sink, and it is an easy 

 matter to follow and circle the school. 



In fishing we are on the beach at daylight. 

 To the east great bands of vermilion are piercing 

 the sky, and the entire heavens are blazing with 

 a rosy light, the advance guard of the sun that 

 presently comes up over the Sierras on the main- 

 land like a ball of fire. The boatman, who is 

 just in with fresh flying-fishes, reports tunas all 



