52 



WHERE, WHEN, AND II OW TO CATCH FISH 



46. 



Illustration. Page. 



ISTIOPHORUS NIGRICANS. 



376 



891 



Sailfish ; 

 Spikefish ; 

 BoOHOO ; 

 GUEBUCU ; 

 VOILIER ; 



Aguja Voladora 

 Aguja Prieta ; 

 Spearfish ; 

 Bannerfish. 



" Head 2^ (3# in length with caudal); depth 

 about 6. D. XLI-7 ; A. 9-7. Longest dorsal 

 spine 3^ total length of head ; ventrals If in head ; 

 pectorals 3f ; caudal lobes 1^$. Snout, from eye, 

 2^ times length rest of head ; lower jaw S}4 in 

 head ; front of eye nearly midway between tip of 

 lower jaw and edge of opercle ; interorbital space 

 broad, flattish, If in postorbital part of head ; 

 maxillary reaching to slightly beyond eye, which is 2}i in postorbital 

 part of head and 10 in snout; sword narrow, regularly tapering, 

 depressed, its upper and lower surfaces both rounded, its edges blunt 

 and rougher than its upper side ; for its entire length it is nearly 

 twice as broad as deep ; breadth of snout at the middle point between 

 its tip and the eye 25 times in its length from the eye. Bluish black, 

 paler below ; dorsal dusky bluish ; its membranes with many nearly 

 round black spots, from }i to j{ diameter of orbit. Length of speci- 

 men described (obtained by Dr. Jordan at Key West) 6 feet. ' ' Weight 

 to 150, or more, pounds. 



Caught trolling outside with sailboat or launch, rod and reel Tar- 

 pon rig, or Kingfish rig. One of these fishes, and the only one I have 

 seen, was taken, late in March, 1901, by a party consisting of Mr. 

 and Mrs. Moore and Mr. Hiding of Kansas City, Mo. The party 

 were on a launch in charge of Charley Thompson, and were trolling 

 with hand line and rod and reel near Fowey Rock Light off Soldier 



