The Black Sea-bass 109 
five hundred pounds have been taken, while the 
Santa Barbara Islands claim a bass which tipped 
the scales at eight hundred pounds, and fishes of 
this size have been taken in the Gulf of California. 
At Santa Catalina and San Diego the average 
bass weighs two’ hundred and fifty pounds, and 
small individuals are rarely seen. The smallest 
fish observed by me at the former place weighed 
thirty pounds, and fishes under one hundred 
pounds’ weight are very rare. Where the very 
young go is a mystery, as they are never caught; 
possibly they frequent the deeper waters offshore. 
In 1870 there was a black sea-bass fishery at 
Pebbly Beach, Santa Catalina, and the Portu- 
guese from San Pedro caught hundreds of these 
bass by employing the heaviest of hand-lines, 
small ropes, with which several men could soon 
master the largest fish. The fish were killed on 
the spot and their heads thrown into the water, 
resulting, according to local tradition, in so 
alarming the fish that they deserted the locality 
and have never been caught there since. The 
meat was dried and sold as boneless cod, but was 
found to be too tough and dry for this purpose. 
Fishing for the giant as a sport has long been 
in vogue at the islands off Los Angeles County. 
