THE GAME FISHES OF HAWAII 



he could do in imaginary flights of the brush, colour and shape. 



One of the handsomest of the fishes is Ulaula {Etelis). Like 

 the Florida yellowtail, the fins are large ; the upper lobe of 

 caudal being long and graceful. This fish is a gorgeous rosy-red 

 and silver. The Mu is a porgy, and by any other name just as 

 hard a fighter, and there are endless mullets. The beautiful 

 whitefish of Santa CataUna is represented here by the Makaa 

 (Melacanihus), and one resembles a long-drawn out Santa 

 Catahna whitefish, with extraordinary colouring. 



If the tints of these fishes are remarkable what shall be said 

 of the shape, as in the Kikakapu ? The horned Makukana, 

 fishes with knives, which they can unsheath ; fishes which inflate 

 themselves into balloons and when released float away before 

 the wind gigantic globules covered with spines ; fishes that 

 shoot drops of water ; wonderful coral fishes, coloured like birds 

 of paradise, vying with the most gorgeous birds of the Tropics, 

 and in such numbers and variety that the angler is amazed and 

 bewildered at the prodigahty of Nature. 



The fishes which correspond to the parrot-fishes of the Florida 

 reef are the most marvellous in sh9>pe, colour and variety. Nature 

 appears to have literally gone mad in attempting to outdo herself in 

 these isles of the sea, the land of romance, found by Captain Cook 

 not so many years ago and now a territory of the United States. 



Eiver fishing in the Islands is uncertain as the rivers are 

 small and either torrents or dry, according to season ; but by 

 damming, making artificial lakes, attempts have been made to 

 introduce foreign species. The principal rivers are the Kauai, 

 Oahu and Hawaii. Black bass have been placed in the WaUuke 

 near Eainbow Falls. Carp have been introduced into the waters 

 of Maui and Kaui. Catfish have also been introduced, and the 

 hibernating Ophiocephalus of China, that successfully resists 

 the dry rivers by burrowing in the mud. Goldfish, introduced by 

 the Chinese, can be found in the ditches. Salmon and trout eggs 

 were sent to the Islands in 1876, but so far the experiments have 

 not been perfectly satisfactory. 



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