TALES OF FISHES 



measurements was taken off Saconnet, Rhode 

 Island, July 23, 1874. This was seven feet seven 

 inches long, weighing one hundred and thirteen 

 pounds. Another, taken off No Man's Land, July 

 20, 1875, and cist in plaster for the collection of 

 the National Museum, weighed one hundred and 

 twenty pounds and measured about seven feet. 

 Another, taken off Portland, August 15, 1878, was 

 3,999 millimeters long and weighed about six hun- 

 dred pounds. Many of these fish doubtless attain the 

 weight of four and five hundred pounds, and some 

 perhaps grow to six hundred; but after this limit 

 is reached, I am inclined to believe larger fish are 

 exceptional. Newspapers are fond of recording the 

 occurrence of giant fish, weighing one thousand 

 pounds and upward, and old sailors will in good 

 faith describe the enormous fish which they saw at 

 sea, but could not capture; but one well-authenti- 

 cated instance of accurate weighing is much more 

 valuable. The largest one ever taken by Capt. 

 Benjamin Ashby, for twenty years a swordfish 

 fisherman, was killed on the shoals back of Edgar- 

 town, Massachusetts. When salted it weighed six 

 hundred and thirty-nine pounds. Its live weight 

 must have been as much as seven hundred and fifty 

 or eight hundred. Its sword measured nearly six 

 feet. This was an extraordinary fish among the 

 three hundred or more taken by Captain Ashby in 

 his long experience. He considers the average size 

 to be about two hundred and fifty pounds dressed, 

 or five hundred and twenty-five alive. Captain 

 Martin, of Gloucester, estimated the average size at 

 three to four hundred pounds. The largest known 



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