258 
FOREST AND STREAM. 


Rep SNAPPER, or GROUPER, (Serranus erythogaster). —CUVIER. 
This fish seems to be called by both names in different 
localities. In east Florida it goes by the name of ‘‘snap- 
per,” and is known by the large canine teeth and by its ra- 
pacious habits; when put with other fish alive in a car it 
proceeds to devour those smaller than itself. It has large 
scales, with spines in the dorsal fin, and has been placed by 
Cuvier among the perches. At Mosquito Inlet they are 
small—from one to three pounds, but in the Indian River 
Inlet I have taken them of ten or twelve pounds weight, 
and I have seen them brought in from the Gulf of double 
that size. The spapper seems to be a wary fish, and re- 
quires finer tackle and more careful fishing than most of 
the coast species. Ihave found that avrather small hook, 
fine line, with mullet bait cast from a reel, using a float so 
as to let the line run off down the current thirty or forty 
yards from the boat, was the most successful way to de- 
lude the snapper. It bites sharply, fights hard, and is 
good eating, either boiled or fried. Color, reddish brown 
on the back and sides, growing darker after death, belly sil- 
very. Holbrook, in his figure of this fish, gives it rows of 
black spots on the back. 
Buack Grouper, (Serranus nigritus), HOLBROOK, 
Commonly known on the Florida coast as the *‘grouper;” 
it is a perch also, and is of the very best quality on the 
table, being rich and well flayored—a better fish than the 
preceding, in my opinion. It is shaped something like the 
black bass of fresh water, the color an olive brown, with 
dark mottled lines, resembling tortoise shell. At Mosquito 
Inlet it is taken from two to eight pounds in weight with 
mullet bait on the bottom. The grouper has a stronghold 
under the mangrove bushes, or in a hole in the bank, to 
which it retreats when hooked, and being a vigorous fish 
often succeeds in reaching its fortress, from which it can 
with difficulty be dislodged, and the loss of fish and tackle 
is the result. More hooks are lost by the grouper than by 
any other fish, but as it affords good sport and excellent 
food it is a favorite object of the angler’s pursuit. A bass 
rod and reel, with astrong line and Virginia hook, with 
lead enough to keep the bait on the bottom, is the best rig 
for the grouper, and, after all, the prospect of getting him 
is uncertain. He fights so hard that you have to give him 
line, andif you give him too much he is sure to escape 
into his hold. 
Costa, CRAB-EATER, or SARGENT Fisu, (Hlacate Atlanti- 
cus). —CUVIER. 
This fish I have never seen except in the Indian River, 
where it is acommon species, lying under the mangrove 
bushes in wait for prey like a pike, which it much resem- 
bles in form, and in the long under jaw, full of sharp teeth. 
Tt derives its trivial name from a black stripe running 
along its silvery sides, from head to tail, like that on the 
trowsers of asergeant. I found it rather coarse and indif- 
ferent food, in that also resembling the fresh water pike. 
Size, from two to three feet long. 
Tur Pompano, (Bothrolemus pampanius).— HOLBROOK. 
Most persons who have been in Mobile or New Orleans 
have heard of the pompano. Perhaps few have seen or 
tasted it, though it has the reputation of being the finest 
fish in the world, and brings in the southern markets three 
or four times the price of any other fish. It is a rare fish, 
which may in part account for its high reputation, though 
having had the good fortune to catch and eat a pompano 
in Florida I am prepared to admit its claims for merit of 
the highest order. Holbrook is the only writer who, to my 
knowledge, gives a scientific description of this fish, and 
he apparently confounds it with the the cavalli or crevallé, 
which much resembles it in appearance. In his ‘‘Fishes of 
South Carolina,” he heads his description “The Pompano, 
Bothrolemus pampanus. Synonyms—Lichia Carolina, (De- 
kay and Storer;) Zrachinotwus pampanus, (Cuvier and Val;) 
vulgo, cavalli or crevall®; known in New Orleans as pom- 
pynose.”—Page UI 
The fish known on the coast of Florida as the cavalli or 
erevalld, I take to be Caran defensor,(Dekay) which belongs 
to the same family as B. pampanus, but is of very different 
habits and merit, and has important structural distinctions. 
The pompano has a truncated snout, rather a small mouth 
without teeth, jaws strong and massive, eye of moderate 
size, body much compressed and deep, about one-third the 
length; first dorsal fin represented by six spines; second 
dorsal soft, and extending to the tail; anal fin extending to 
the tail also. The pompano is a bottom fish, and is found 
singly. My specimen was taken in the Hillsboro River, 
near New Smyrna, with clam bait, while fishing on the 
bottom for sheepshead. It weighed only two and a half 
pounds, but made so furious a resistance that I, thought I 
had a large sheepshead hooked foul. It ran in circles, 
darted under the boat, fouled our lines, and made fuss 
enough fora fish of three times its size. As soon as our 
boatman saw it he shouted, ‘‘A pompano! and the first I 
ever saw caught with a hook in this river!” This man had 
fished on the coast all his life, and knew every fish in the 
waters. He had been with us when we caught the cavalli 
in the Indian River, and named both species at once. My 
specimen was a splendid creature. His colors were as bril- 
liant as those of a fresh water salmon, but instead of bright 
silver he was like a bar of frosted silver. This changed 
after death to dark blue above and lemon yellow beneath. 
We had him cut in slices and fried, and even under that 
treatment, which I suspect was not the most appropriate, 
he was superb. A combination of richness and delicacy 
of flavor quite unique—like a New Brunswick salmon and 
Lake Superior whitefish, which, of all the fishes on this 
Continent, I hold to be the best. 
This specimen measured eighteen inches long and six in 
depth. 
THe CAVALLI, or CREVALLR, (Caraux defensor).—DEKAY. 
Belongs to the same family as the last, and much resem- 
bles it in appearance. The cavalli has a more pointed 
head and snout, with moderately large conical antl pointed 
teeth. The mouth is larger than in the pompano, the body 
not as deep in proportion to the length, the eye is larger, 
it has two dorsal fins, and at the junction of the tail with 
the body it is smaller than the pompano. In color it is 
olive green, and silvery above and yellow beneath. I found 
it quite numerous at the Indian River Inlet. It goes in 
schools, swims near the surface, and takes readily a troll, 
either bait or red rag. Itis an active, sporting fish, but of 
indifferent quality on the table, being dry and tasteless, 
like the dolphin of tropical seas. Those I caught were of 
about two pounds weight, but I am told that it grows to 
five times that size. 
It would appear that these two species, from their strong 
resemblance to each other, are often confounded, and I 
think it very probable that specimens of the pompano re- 
ported to have been taken this year in Buzzard’s Bay were 
in reality cavalli, this being a more roving as well as a more 
numerous species than the pompano. 
BLACKFISH, or SEA Bass, (Centropistes nigricans).—CUVIER. 
This seems to be the same species which is known in 
New York as the sea bass, and at Newport as the blackfish. 
Like the sheepshead, those in northern waters are much 
larger than we find them in Florida waters, so that I am in- 
clined to believe that they breed here and go North in the 
summer. At Mosquito Inlet they are very abundant, and 
being voracious feeders can be taken almost at will, and 
with any bait. Usually under a pound, while off the 
reefs at Newport I have taken them of six or seven. 
SAILoR’s CHOICE, or Hoerisu, (Hemulon fulvomaculatus).— 
DEKAY. 
CroxEr, (Micropogon wndulatus).—CuvmRr. 
BuLack Grunt, (Hemulon areuatwm).—HoLBroox, 
Sxre Jack, young of Biurrisn, (Temnodon saltator).—Limnn. 
The above are small pan fish, which can be taken in vast 
numbers in the bays and creeks, but the larger species be- 
ing numerous few persons seek for these, though they are 
all nice eating. The full grown bluefish are numerous on 
some parts of the coast at certain seasons, as I am in- 
formed, as are also the Spanish mackerel, but J have never 
met with them. 
MuLxer, (Magil lineatus).—DEKAY. 
I think there are several species of the mullet here. 
They are found everywhere in the bays and sounds in im- 
mense shoals, and are taken in seines and cast nets in size 
from half a pound to six pounds. It is a very valuable fish 
to the inhabitants, since it takes salt better than any other 
southern species, being equal to the mackerel in that respect. 
Tt also furnishes a valuable food in its spawn, which is salt- 
ed and smoked. It is also used extensively as bait for most 
other fishes. The mullet appears to subsist upon the mi- 
nute animals found inthe mud, with which substance its 
stomach and intestines are usually found to be filled. Eaten 
fresh, the mullet affords a rich and savory food. 
SaLtT WATER CaTFIsH, (Galeichthys marinus).—CuvIER. 
Much resembles the fresh water catfish, but is a hand- 
somer fish, both in form and color. It has fhe barbels de- 
pendant from the mouth, and strong spines in the pectoral 
and dorsal fins, capable of inflicting painful wounds upon 
careless hands. As to its value as an edible species, I can- 
not say; they are numerous, and greedy biters, but + re gen- 
erally thrown away, or left for the coons and buzzards. 
Size in the Indian River, ten or twelve pounds. At Mos- 
quito Inlet, from two to five pounds. 
SHARKS AND THEIR CONGENERS. 
Sharks are very numerous in these waters, from six to 
nine feet long—probably the mackerel shark, Lamna pune- 
tata—Storer. There is a species here called the nurse shark, 
Somniosus boeirpinna, De 8., which is sometimes taken with 
a hook; it is about five or six feet long, and its teeth are 
very small. ' 
Other members of this family are the garfish, angel fish, 
rays, skates, &c. The garfish, Pristis antiquorwm, (Dekay) 
is shark like in form, with a cruel weapon projecting from 
its snout one-third the length of its body. This is studded 
with sharp spines on either side, and is used to kill other 
fishes. The sawfish has a large mouth, but no teeth in it, 
so he slashes his saw among a school of mullets, killing 
half a dozen at a blow, which he then gobbles up at his 
leisure. He is dreaded by fishermen, who disable him by a 
blow on the saw. 
The angel fish is a very bad angel indeed, judging from 
his appearance, which is between a shark and a ray—a. hid- 
eous combination. 
The rays or skates belong also to this class, and they are 
of large size and numerous on this coast, particularly the 
sting ray, Trygon hastata (Storer), which is a terror to fish- 
ermen, In wading to cast their nets they are in danger of 
treading on this creature, which lurks in the mud or on the 
sandy bottom, and when touched strikes with his terrible 
barbed weapon, making ragged wounds so difficult to heal 
that they are popularly supposed to be poisoned. These 
rays are often six feet long, including the tail, and three 
feet across. They appear to live upon the small molluscs 
so numerous in these waters. Ihave seen a ray, when 
hauled ashore, disgorge a pint or more of these small bi- 
rpedo ray, or crawfish, is also found on this coast, 
w animal carries with him an electrical battery of 
250,000 plates, as described by naturalists, capable of giv- 
ing a very severe shock to the incautions fisherman. 
Cephaloptera vampirus.—MiTcHELL. 
The great ray, vampire of the ocean, or devilfish, is 
found also in these waters, although it seldom enters the 
rivers. This is often fifteen feet in length, and the same 
in breadth, and is strong enough to drag off a small vessel, 
when it becomes entangled with the cable, as sometimes 
happens. In Charleston harbor they are pursued in whale 
boats, and captured with harpoons, affording great sport. 
In Victor Hugo’s romance, the name devil fish, which be- 
longs to this ray, is wrongly bestowed upon the octopus, or 
cuttle fish. This great ray, when propelling itself through 
the water with its immense pectoral fins, which look like 
the wings of a bat, isa wonderful sight. On its head are 
two horns, which, with its long tail, complete the resem- 
blance to his satanic majesty. This is a fish, and the cuttle 
is not. 
Tue FresH WATER FisHes OF FLORIDA. 
Of these I have less knowledge than of the sea fishes. 
The species most widely diffused, and also the most val- 
ued, is the black trout, or bass, (Grystes salmoides). This 
species is also found in the western Jakes and rivers, but in 
Florida it grows toa larger size; specimens of eight, ten, 
and twelve pounds being sometimes taken. The native 
method is with a bob, which is a bunch of gay colored 
feathers, with two or three large hooks concealed in it. 
This is fastened to a yard or two of strong line, and this to 
a stout reed pole. The fisherman sits in the bow of a ca- 
noe, which is paddled by one in the stern, and kept at such 
a distance from the weedy shore that the bob may be skit- 
tered along the margin. Out rushes the bass, and cannot 
well escape being hooked; he is either hauled in by main 
force, or breaks away. Northern fishermen use the spoon, 
or Sometimes cast with along line and gaudy flies. Once 
on the Upper St. John, near the Everglades, two of us took 
with spoons, trolling from the stern of a steamer, twenty 
or thirty black bass in an hour or two; they were from two 
to six pounds weight. Parties who go out from Enterprise 
upon Lake Munroe in small boats often bring in great 
strings of bass. 
In the lakes and rivers are also found the yellow perch, 
P. flavesceus, (Cuvier); sunfish, Pomotis vulgaris, (Cuvier); 
blue bream, Jchthetis inetsor, (Val.); red bellied perch, Ich 
thetis rubicanda, (Storer); goggle-eyed perch, Pomoais rhom- 
boides, (Linn), 8. ©. Cuark. 
OE  ———— 
LOONS UNDER WATER. 
de alla KL 
Epitor Forest anD STREAM:— 
Some interesting notes in one of the earlier numbers of 
your welcome journal referred to the rapid flight of the 
loon under water, and recalled to me an occasion when I 
was witness to the motion of one of these superb birds. 
A few miles from St. Paul there was, and still 
may be, a fishing resort on Lake Minnetonka, and 
many famous strings of pickerel and black bass were 
caught by the sportsmen who drove out from St. Paul. 
Going there with a friend, we concluded, after fishing in 
the main lake, to try new ground; so a hoat was placed 
upon a wagon, and with’ it we went to asmall pond lying 
apart from the ordinary line of travel, and after a contest 
that was not far from an appeal to force with a settler who 
falsely claimed exclusive ownership of the lake, we were 
lauched upon it, with an oarsman to row for our trolling. 
It was, beyond doubt, the first time the fascinations of the 
modern mechanical baits, spoons, and glittering bits of 
spinning metal were displayed before the gaze of the myriad 
fish, and with eager credulity they took them as willingly 
as our eastern capitalists at that time took ten per cent. 
western bonds, and they were taken in as fatally. Great 
rushing, rustic fellows, they did not wait for half a line to 
run out, but were as dazed by the shining temptations as_ 
squaws are by a little finery, and followed them as readily. 
Passing a small bay that opened beyond a narrow inlet, 
we saw a female loon with a little one hiding behind her, 
and our curiosity to see more of the little family induced 
us to reel in our lines and paddle toward them. As we 
slowly approached them, the anxiety of the mother was 
really touching. She swam alertly about, seeking in vain 
to hasten the little one toward the concealment of some 
friendly sedges, and coaxed and pushed it by turn, becom. | 
ing each moment more alarmed. As the distance between 
us lessened, she became the victim of fear for herself, and 
as equally solicitous for her fondling, expressing it by 
diving hurriedly and coming up, rising half upon wing and 
dropping again, and with every air of intense maternal 
anxiety. We continued nearing them, until it was evident 
that the little convoy would not gain the reeds before us, 
when, with a desperate plunge, the old bird went under, 
and in a moment went by our boat, seeking the open pond 
by the narrow and shallow outlet we were in. The depth 
was not sufficient to conceal her, and fora few rods her 
rapid course was plainly discernible. Her form was as 
straight as possible, making her as sharp as a cigar steamer, 
and her feet did not seem to be used unless for steering. 
Her motion, as rapid almost as the eye could follow, was 
derived from her wings, and probably from both the up- 
ward and downward stroke, like sculling, They were pow- 
erful, indeed, inspired by fear, and in a mement the dark 
form was gore like a shadow, seen only long enough to im- 
press us with wonder and surprise at this use of wi 
under water, and at the result. 
The little loony remained like a ball of grey down, re- 
posing lightly on the water, and was not at all impressed 
with instinctive or imitative fear of us. It swam rather to 
the boat, and was not unwilling to be closely admired; in 
fact, it so freely accepted our complimentary criticism that 
ings 
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