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ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



Mammals 



W. T. HORNADAY. 



Birds 

 William Beebe. 

 Lkk S. Crandall. 



SrparttnrntB : 



Aquarium 



C. H. TOWNSEND. 



Beptilfs 

 Raymond L. Ditmars. 



Published bi-monthly at the Office of the Society, 

 111 Broadway, New York City. 



Yearly by Mail, $1.00. 



MAILED FREE TO MEMBERS. 



Copyright, 1916, by the New York Zoological Society. 



Each author is responsible for the scientific accuracy 



and the proof reading of his contribution. 



Elwin R. Sanborn, 



Editor and Official Photographer 



Vol. XIX, No. 6 



NOVEMBER, 1916 



TUNA IN NEIGHBORING WATERS.* 



IN the November, 1910, Bulletin,, notice was 

 made of the occurrence of the tuna or tunny, 

 otherwise known on this coast as the horse 

 mackerel, in considerable numbers off the New 

 Jersey coast. Many of these fish were taken 

 that summer off Barnegat and Asbury Park and 

 reports of their appearance have reached the 

 Aquarium each year since then. 



During the past six years they have been 

 taken also in large numbers in the waters about 

 Block Island. In the Forty-fourth Annual Re- 

 port of the Rhode Island Commissioners of In- 

 land Fisheries (Jan., 1914) Mr. Chas. W. Wil- 

 lard of Westerly, R. I., called especial attention 

 to the development of the tuna fishing industry 

 and to the opportunities for the sportsman who 

 may care to engage these big fellows with rod 

 and reel. 



According to Mr. Willard, large numbers 

 have been taken on hand lines baited with a 

 wooden jig made bright with aluminum paint. 

 Only the smaller fish, weighing fifteen to seven- 

 ty-five pounds, can be handled in this manner, 

 for larger ones either break the lines or tear 

 out the hooks and escape. The larger fish, 

 weighing up to six hundred pounds or more 

 have been taken frequenth^ in traps or with 

 the harpoon. Prices have averaged four to 

 five cents per pound. 



Hundreds of sportsmen have tried their 

 hands at angling for these hardiest of all game 

 fish and with great success. 



*Since the above article was wri'.ten, the catch- 

 ing' of tuna off Block Island has been followed 

 vigorously, especially by anglers. The Atlantic 

 Tuna Club, organized in October, 1914, with head- 

 ouarters at Block Island, now has 1S4 menibei's 

 divided among 10 states. During the months of 

 Vugust and Septernber, 1916, large numbers of tuna 

 T ere taken witli rod and reel, some of them weigh- 

 ing from thirty to forty pounds. 



Some idea of the abundance of the tuna in 

 the Block Island waters may be gained from 

 the report of the deputy assigned to the task 

 of collecting data of the fishery for 1913. 

 "From the 25th of July to the 20th of October, 

 10,000 were caught by hook and line, averag- 

 ing from fifteen to thirty pounds. In the same 

 period, 500 were taken in traps weighing from 

 500 to 800 pounds, and taken with the sword- 

 fish iron, 150 running from 400 to 900 pounds." 



In the Westerly, R. I., Sun for July 30, 

 1914, Mr. W^illard further reported the presence 

 of the tuna in large numbers in the same region. 



The region about the Santa Catalina Islands 

 off Southern California has long been famous 

 as a resort for anglers interested in the absorb- 

 ing and often wearisome sport of landing a 

 tuna with rod and reel. The well-known Tuna 

 Club was organized there, drawing its member- 

 ship from those who had been successful in 

 landing a large fish. Sportsmen in the eastern 

 states will welcome the opportunit}^ to try their 

 tackle on these superb fish without having to 

 undergo a trip of several thousand miles across 

 the continent. The presence of tuna in large 

 numbers for seven years in succession in waters 

 so near at hand will doubtless be of interest 

 to all anfflers.^i?. C. 0. 



STRANGE SEA FISHES GOOD FOR 

 FOOD. 



By W. I. DeNyse. 



FEW persons are aware that there are a 

 number of sea fishes in our local v/aters 

 that are perfectly good for food, but which 

 are seldom used. 



The sea raven (^Hemitripterus aviericanus) 

 when skinned and the backbone removed, fur- 

 nishes two pieces of flesh that either broiled or 

 fried are excellent. The common sculpin makes 

 a good stew and is also very good fried. The 

 tail of the big angler (Lophius piscatorms) when 

 broiled or boiled is quite equal to the ordinary 

 sea fishes as food. 



The skates or rays are edible and much used 

 for food in other countries. The flesh of the skate 

 when boiled tastes much like lobster, and many 

 so-called lobster salads may consist chiefly of 

 skate meat with a little lobster meat added for 

 the proper coloring. 



The dogfishes (Mustehis canis) and (Squalus 

 acanthias) are good food fishes that will even- 

 tually be in demand. 



On the west coast of England they are utilized 

 both fresh and salted. At Folkstone, quantities 



