T H E T A R P O N 27 



readily be mistaken for a young tarpon by anyone 

 without scientific training. 



" These facts fit rather well with Meek's hy- 

 pothesis and I accept it as probably about correct. 

 Supposing the tarpon to spawn off-shore in the 

 Central Atlantic area, north of the Equatorial 

 drift and southeast of the gulf stream, sometime 

 in the late summer or fall, after leaving the west 

 coast of Florida; the young in their first shore- 

 ward drift might well be carried to Porto Rico by 

 the northeast trade winds. The fact that the very 

 small Porto Bican fish were found at the north- 

 east corner of the Island which projects into the 

 trade winds, is perhaps significant. Also, in leav- 

 ing the west coast of Florida for such an Atlantic 

 spawning ground, the fish would cross the Gulf 

 Stream, and it is in summer and fall that strag- 

 glers occur northward along the coast, doubtless 

 carried by the Gulf Stream. There are records in 

 the vicinity of New York and further north. 



" Leaving Porto Rico on the outward migra- 

 tion, it would be natural for young fish to enter 

 the Caribbean and from thence with the Gulf 

 Stream, enter the Gulf of Mexico, and the com- 

 paratively small specimens found up the rivers 

 of the west coast of Florida may well be fishes of 

 the second shoreward migration. " 



I have examined the tarpon Mr. Nichols refers to, 

 which is the smallest yet recorded. It is perfectly de- 

 veloped and like the larger fish. 



