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Mortality of Fish in the Gulf of Mexico. — Several notices in tlie Pro- 
ceedings of the United States National Museum describe a very serious 
mortality that lias occurred during the last two years among the fish of 
some parts of the Gulf of Mexico, near the coast of Florida, and the 
evidence would seem to show that it is due to some peculiar condition of a 
belt of water at a small distance from the shore. A Mr. M. A. Moore, 
writing from Braidentown, Manatee County, Florida, to Prof. Spencer F. 
Baird, on the 30th November last, gives a general account of the phenomena 
which had come under his observation. He says that a considerable portion 
of the coast population of South Florida depends mainly upon a fishing 
industry carried on by well-smacks of from thirty to fifty tons, in which 
the fish are conveyed alive to the Cuban markets. Some two years before 
the date above given, some portions of the water in the Gulf acquired 
poisonous properties, which caused the death of all the fish that came in 
contact with it. 1 Whenever a smack with a full fare, i. e. a full cargo, of 
fine healthy fish in her well sailed into this poisoned water, every fish 
would die, and they would have to be thrown away. This compelled the 
vessel to return to fishing at the loss of a month’s hard work.’ This very 
serious state of affairs has continued ever since, sometimes in one place, 
sometimes in another, the poisonous influence, whatever it may be, affect- 
ing certain localities and currents for a time and then appearing elsewhere ; 
but according to Mr. Moore, there was, when he wrote, more of it about 
the mouth of Charlotte Harbour and off Punta Russa than anywhere else. 
Where it prevails, the surface of the water is covered with dead fish, and 
they are often thrown up on the beach in such numbers that the stench 
becomes intolerable. The so-called ‘ bottom fish ’ appear to be more affected 
by the poison than any others. The grouper (Serranus nigritis) and the 
snapper ( Serranus erythrogaster') are the principal fish taken by the fishing- 
smacks, and these, with the perch, kingfish, trout, and other fish that take 
the hook, are more affected than the mullet ( Mugil lineatus ) and the 
pompano ( Bothrolcemus pompano). Numbers of sharks, rays, eels, and 
catfish, are thrown up dead upon the beach. 
By other writers, the noxious water is said to be distinguishable by its 
colour, which is sometimes brick-red, and it is described as extending for a 
distance of 200 miles. The cause of this poisonous condition of the water 
seems to be very obscure. Some people, including the Mr. Moore above 
quoted, are inclined to believe that it is due to volcanic action at the sea- 
bottom, or to an escape of noxious gases, or of mineral substances held in 
solution; and the editor of a local newspaper ( Forest and Stream) refers 
particularly to a boiling spring which is said to exist somewhere off the 
coast. Others suggest the presence of parasitic plants, and in this view 
Dr. F. M. Endlich, who has made an analysis of the noxious water, appears 
to agree. Dr. Endlich reports as follows upon the characters of the noxious 
and wholesome water, the former under A, the latter under B : — 
