﻿34 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  John 
  O. 
  La 
  Gorce 
  

  

  A 
  SCHOOL 
  OP 
  PORPOISE: 
  MIGRATING 
  

  

  The 
  porpoise 
  in 
  great 
  schools 
  move 
  up 
  and 
  down 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast 
  during 
  certain 
  periods 
  of 
  

   the 
  year. 
  They 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  devour 
  their 
  weight 
  in 
  fish 
  every 
  forty-eight 
  hours. 
  

  

  through 
  word 
  of 
  mouth 
  by 
  prideful 
  captors 
  

   and 
  in 
  song 
  and 
  story, 
  and 
  so 
  has 
  come 
  to 
  

   be 
  more 
  widely 
  known 
  than 
  its 
  competi- 
  

   tors. 
  Such 
  is 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  advertising. 
  

  

  But 
  while 
  many 
  worship 
  at 
  the 
  shrine 
  

   of 
  the 
  tarpon, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  experi- 
  

   enced 
  sportsmen, 
  equipped 
  with 
  light 
  

   tackle, 
  esteem 
  just 
  as 
  highly, 
  if 
  not 
  a 
  grade 
  

   higher, 
  the 
  gameness 
  of 
  other 
  fighters 
  of 
  

   the 
  warm 
  seas, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  sailfish, 
  the 
  

   wahoo, 
  and 
  the 
  bonefish. 
  The 
  bonefish 
  

   of 
  recent 
  years 
  has 
  become 
  particularly 
  

   popular 
  among 
  sportsmen, 
  and 
  world-wise 
  

   anglers 
  journey 
  even 
  from 
  Europe 
  to 
  

   Florida 
  to 
  match 
  their 
  ability 
  with 
  this 
  

   animated 
  steel 
  spring. 
  

  

  The 
  tarpon 
  is 
  abundant 
  in 
  Florida 
  

   waters, 
  on 
  both 
  coasts, 
  where 
  hundreds 
  

   of 
  sportsmen, 
  winter 
  and 
  summer, 
  seek 
  it 
  

   for 
  the 
  thrill 
  and 
  pride 
  of 
  capture 
  it 
  pro- 
  

   vides. 
  When 
  one 
  is 
  caught 
  with 
  rod 
  and 
  

   reel, 
  it 
  leaps 
  repeatedly 
  from 
  the 
  water, 
  

   and 
  as 
  the 
  sunlight 
  plays 
  upon 
  its 
  glisten- 
  

   ing 
  scales 
  while 
  the 
  angler 
  battles 
  con- 
  

   stantly 
  to 
  prevent 
  it 
  from 
  freeing 
  itself 
  

   during 
  the 
  struggle, 
  the 
  thrill 
  must 
  be 
  ex- 
  

   perienced 
  to 
  be 
  fully 
  appreciated. 
  

  

  This 
  best-known 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  game 
  

   fishes 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  bluish 
  on 
  the 
  back, 
  

   with 
  its 
  under 
  parts 
  and 
  sides 
  a 
  wonder- 
  

   ful, 
  glistening 
  silver 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  X). 
  Its 
  

   scales 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  iridescent 
  and 
  are 
  

   utilized 
  in 
  the 
  making 
  of 
  numerous 
  fancy 
  

   articles 
  which 
  find 
  a 
  ready 
  market 
  as 
  

   souvenirs 
  of 
  the 
  habitat 
  of 
  the 
  tarpon. 
  

   Little 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  breeding 
  habits 
  of 
  

   the 
  tarpon, 
  but 
  very 
  young 
  individuals 
  

   are 
  found 
  in 
  brackish 
  waters, 
  where 
  they 
  

   remain 
  until 
  strong 
  enough 
  to 
  enter 
  into 
  

   the 
  life 
  struggle 
  of 
  the 
  deep.. 
  

  

  THE 
  SAILFISH 
  A 
  CLOSE 
  COMPETITOR 
  POR 
  

   POPULARITY 
  

  

  The 
  sailfish 
  is 
  considered 
  a 
  highly 
  de- 
  

   sirable 
  fish 
  to 
  encounter, 
  for 
  not 
  only 
  is 
  

   it 
  valued 
  for 
  the 
  resultant 
  sport 
  after 
  be- 
  

   ing 
  hooked, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  also 
  highly 
  prized 
  

   for 
  the 
  excellent 
  mounted 
  trophy 
  it 
  makes. 
  

   Many 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  adorn 
  the 
  home 
  walls 
  

   and 
  club-rooms 
  of 
  anglers 
  who 
  take 
  pride 
  

   in 
  their 
  catches 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  XII). 
  

  

  Jt 
  was 
  this 
  fish 
  which 
  afforded 
  the 
  

   Chief 
  Executive 
  and 
  members 
  of 
  his 
  

   official 
  family 
  their 
  sport 
  last 
  spring 
  when 
  

  

  