ment were visible in the audience, and the fairer 

 portion of it retired apparently overcome). This big 

 spine." we continued, "is fourteen inches long. Here 

 you will see that nature too, yearns after uniformity, for we 

 notice, what we have never seen stated before, that the 

 pectorals too have this same spine, though not so large in 

 proportion, as the dorsal one." 



Just here the audience all went about their business, and 

 we were enabled to get a closer examination of the fish. 

 Such scales! "We took two or three of the largest, which 

 measured two and a quarter by two inches ^ach, each one 

 as beautiful as a shell, and tipped at one side with pure 

 silver. We took his extreme breadth, which was one foot 

 three inches. Down his throat we could have passed our 

 double fist. Asking a fisherman if they were caught fre- 

 quently, he informed us that he had seen two or three of 

 these fish during his life . 



Consulting later Col. De Voe's most excellent book, "The 

 Market Assistant," we saw that the author states "that to 

 his knowledge this very large and scarce fish has been seen 

 but four times before in New York." The measurement 

 coincided to an inch with the fine specimen we saw. Two 

 tarpons Col. De Voe says he saw in 1865, and another in 

 1857. Referring to Professor Goode's article we notice 

 that he states that "this fish ia found occasionally in the 

 waters of the West Indies, and on the east coast of the 

 United States." The tarpum he declares to be Megahps 

 thiissoides, and he tells us, as does our other correspondent, 

 S. C. Clarke, Esq., from Smyrna, Fla., (see page 252, 

 May 28) that it is taken in the St. Johns River and brought 

 to Jacksonville. Of course we ate some of him boiled. 

 Now we are constrained to state that generally the hand- 

 somer a fish is the better he tastes, and that sometimes the 

 uglier he is (vide squid) the nicer he is. But Megalops tliris- 

 soides, tarpum, tarpon, or Jew fish, is dry fish, with an ex- 

 aggerated tastelessness common to the herring. Sweet was; 

 it, but flavorless. Optimists as to fish, as far as their edible 

 qualities go, we have no doubt, that converted into a mas- 

 todonic Yarmouth bloater, Megalops would in small 

 quantity, make a delightful relish for breakfast. 



