14 T H E T A R P O N 



completes the list of the survivors of Elopidae, once a 

 great and numerous family. The tarpon ranges over a 

 wide domain, for its deeply forked tail and symmetri- 

 cal and muscular body fit it for swift and enduring 

 action. It is found as far south as Argentina and 

 is common along the coast of Brazil. It has been 

 recorded twice as far north as Nova Scotia; once 

 off Isaac's Harbor and once from Harrigan Cove, 

 where it was speared in eel grass. The latter speci- 

 men was taken on September 6th, 1906, and is in the 

 Provincial Museum at Halifax (Check list of fishes 

 of the Dominion of Canada, 1913). These facts in- 

 dicate that the tarpon can live in cold water if the 

 temperature slowly declines. It frequently ranges as 

 far north as the coast of Massachusetts, where it has 

 been taken in fish traps and nets. The fish was de- 

 scribed as occurring in Long Island Sound in the 

 Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science, Phil. 

 1858. The author is indebted to Dr. C. H. Townsend, 

 Director of the New York Aquarium, for the following 

 interesting information, contained in a recent letter : 



"The Aquarium (New York City) has had living 

 tarpons at three different times, all of which were 

 taken in summer in the southern part of New York 

 Bay. 



'* The tarpon is known to visit our coast as a late 

 summer straggler. Two specimens were captured 

 in a pound net in the lower bay on July 27, 1906. 

 They were brought to the Aquarium and placed in 

 a large pool, where they lived two months. They 

 might have lived longer had the pool been supplied 



