16 THETARPON 



that they frequently jump into the boats ascending 

 or descending. As many as five measuring from 

 4' to 6' in length have been known to jump into a 

 boat on one trip down the rapids, which are only 

 fifteen miles long. They are apt to bite the occu- 

 pants of the boat or injure them by floundering 

 about and so a boatman usually stands ready 

 armed with a machete to cut their heads off as soon 

 as they strike the deck. They are not esteemed for 

 eating and nobody attempts to catch them." 

 Lake Nicaragua is over one hundred feet above the 

 Atlantic and its outlet has five sharp rapids. It is 

 obvious that fine sport can be obtained in the river 

 although Simmons' statements are possibly too highly 

 colored. 



The fish has been reported from all the States of the 

 Atlantic seaboard, as well as Central America and all 

 the West Indies. It abounds at the spillway of the 

 Gatun Dam, where it can be caught on a fly ; but it has 

 not been reported from the Pacific. As it is a warm 

 water fish it is natural that it should retire toward the 

 tropics during cold weather; and therefore, it is not 

 found at the northern and southern extremes of its 

 range, save when it is warm. Few fishes seem to be 

 able to withstand marked and sudden changes in tem- 

 perature, and the tarpon is no exception. During a 

 cold wave in Florida which occurred on January 26-27, 

 1905, the tarpon seemed benumbed by the cold and 

 large numbers became so helpless that they were easily 

 harpooned. (Mr. E. J. Brown in Forest cmd Stream.) 

 It apparently cannot stand sudden changes in tempera- 



