THE GAME PISHES OF THE WOELD 



«antliemtun and rising sun. This is the Eed Tai, always pictured 

 under the arm of Ebisu. But there is another, the Kurodai or 

 Black Tai. The tana ranges into Japanese waters and several 

 large jack-like fishes, while the wanderers from the south are 

 many and sufficient to justify the angler in stopping in Japan, 

 and trying them with rod and reel. 



The taking over of the vast area known as the Philippine 

 Islands, off the coast of Asia, by the government of the United 

 States, to hold them and to educate the natives and fit them to 

 govern themselves and have independence, is an illustration 

 of one of the great national philanthropies of the age. The 

 accession is of interest to anglers, as the United States government 

 has had the region most carefully investigated and explored, 

 Tvith a result that while the work on the fishes is in no wise ex- 

 hausted, enough has been done to show that here is one of the 

 most remarkable fields for the sea-angler. 



The Philippines, that were well named by Buy Lopez de Villa- 

 lobos in honour of King PMlip II., are particularly interesting 

 to the angler from the fact that they begin virtually in the 

 Tropics and reach the Temperate zone, or about sixteen and 

 a half degrees latitude, beginning between the fourth and fifth 

 •degrees north of the equator and extending for one thousand 

 one hundred and fifty miles, occupying an area of about 

 «even hxmdred nailes in width or east and west. This vast 

 area ensures a marvellous variety of game. The north islands of 

 the Batan group are but one hundred miles from Japanese For- 

 mosa, two hours travel in a modern aeroplane, while the Sultan 

 of Sulu, now an American, could reach north-eastern Borneo 

 in one hour if he was inchned to utilize this method of naviga- 

 tion. 



Assuming this is a vast fishing ground, we observe some of its 

 features. There are over three thousand islands. Luzon and 

 Mindanao have areas of forty thousand and thirty-six thousand 

 square miles. There are nine others, with areas of from one 

 thousand to ten thousand square miles, and three hundred and 

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