1915] Gudger : The Whale Shark. 353 



by poking his head with a boat hook; he finally stranded on 

 the sand-bank, and several lines, one around his body, were made 

 fast to oars and boat-hooks stuck deep in the sand of the bank. 

 A piece was then cut out of his head and with a knife, attached 

 to a pole, it was sought to reach his brain and kill him. We 

 were surprised to find about three inches of gristle at this point 

 in his head. 



"I had his measure taken while in the water on the bank, 

 and he measured thirty-eight feet. A 20-foot line put around 

 his body for the purpose of anchoring him to the sand-bank, 

 lapped over about two feet, so that we judged that he was about 

 eighteen feet in circumference. His weight was pure estimate, 

 but we though he would weigh something over five tons. 



''Next morning, which was Saturday, we brought the 

 'Samoa' up alongside, and lashed the fish to the side and started 

 for Miami. That evening we reached a point opposite Railroad 

 Camp, and went ashore to telegraph for a tug, and some of the 

 railroad boys were very much interested in the catch. They 

 thereupon, the next morning, which was Sunday, came out on a 

 railroad tug, perhaps a dozen of them, and one of them took 

 the pictures which are enclosed. We started on our journey 

 to Miami and on Sunday afternoon were met by the tug and 

 finally reached Miami about four o'clock Monday morning. 



"The color was rather a mouse color, covered with yellow 

 spots two or three inches in diameter, which were generally lo- 

 cated in parallel lines of yellow, running from the backbone 

 down each side. This marking is to some extent shown by the 

 photographs. Underneath the color was yellow. The Captain 

 put him on exhibition at Miami on our arrival, and at the time 

 I left, several days later, he was making an effort to preserve 

 him, having engaged the services of a taxidermist at Miami. 

 He was successful in his attempt, as I have seen photographs of 

 the mounted fish, and have heard of him through friends who 

 have been in Miami the past season."^ 



^Through the kindness of Mr. John Mills of Miami, Florida, my at- 

 tention has been called to an article on the Whale Shark in the Wide 

 World Magazine for November, 1914, entitled, "Captain Thompson's 

 Catch." This was written by Victor Pitt-Kethley and is so obviously in- 

 tended for a "thriller" and is so highly colored as to have no scientific 

 value, and attention is called to it here only to say so. 



