GILL] THE TARPON AND LADY—FISH 45 
20 or 30 feet to them. The bait is one of the shell-fish upon which 
the fish feed, and it must be absolutely fresh.” This bait must be 
allowed to “lie immovable until the fish find it. The first indication 
is a slight nibble, for they are not vigorous biters, and they must be 
hooked, for they rarely hook themselves.” 
At length one is hooked. Then commences the sport. ‘“ From 
three to five hundred feet of line is taken out on the first rush, and 
this is often repeated twice or even three times, making from one 
thousand to fifteen hundred feet of line in all that is taken out in 
this manner. When these bursts of speed are over it is fight, fight, 
fight, every inch of the way to the boat, the runs growing shorter 
as the fish fails. When at length he sees the boat the mighty strug- 
gle comes, but not having strength to make a dash, he circles about 
the boat at a distance of from 10 to 20 feet, often making the circuit 
half a dozen times—when he finally comes alongside, belly up, he 
is dead—died as he had lived—dead game—and may be lifted into 
the boat with safety by the guide.” 
Fishes may be caught “from November to April, but it is at its 
best in December.” 
There is much diversity of opinion respecting the culinary charac- 
teristics of the lady-fish. Thomas thought that “as a table fish 
they have few equals, either planked or broiled.” Goode, “ from 
personal observation,” testified that “its reputation is by no means 
a false one.” In the Bermudas, too, “where large schools are 
taken ” and where it is known as the Bone fish or Grubber, it is con- 
sidered “a most excellent food-fish.” Others, however, hold it in 
little esteem. Goode himself tells that along the southern coast of 
California where it is “ found in some numbers,” on account of “ its 
beautiful color it sells readily, but it is not especially esteemed as 
a table-fish.”’ 
But it is by all with common consent exalted as a game fish. The 
celebrated angler Henshall, in 1884, declared that, of all the fishes 
he had caught in the Indian river inlet, “a bone-fish of about 3 
pounds ” gave more real sport than any of the others.” He found 
that it “fights in the water and in the air like the black-bass, but 
mostly in the air—a silver shuttle.” 
THE GISU OR PTEROTHRISSUS OF JAPAN 
A fish occurs in the deep sea off Japan, named gisu by the Japa- 
nese fishermen, which was considered to be the type of a peculiar 
family (Bathythrisside) related to the white fishes and other 
Salmonids by Giinther but which later ichthyologists (Boulenger 
