File:The American angler (1896) (17923472558).jpg

Title: The American angler
Identifier: americanangler261896harr (find matches)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Harris, William Charles, 1830-1905, ed
Subjects: Fishing
Publisher: New York : (The Angler's Publishing Company)
Contributing Library: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

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226 The Auicrican Angler. presence of a flat bone on the upper side of the head; an arch of bone in front of the shoulder; absence of bones in the ear-formation, and the bones in the mouth and in front of the oesopha- g-us are not shaped like a scythe as in the fishes previously described. The true bonefish (Alluila vulpes) is the only representative of the family Albnlidtv. Its range is stated in the text-books to be from Cape Cod south- ward to the warm seas, but it has occurred to me that the confusion arising from a similarity of popular names, alluded to above, might possibly have led to error as to range of habitat of this fish. I have examined a speci- men of the big-eyed herring, wrongly called ladyfish, that was caught on a hook in the waters of Princess Bay, Staten Island; but in my familiar per- sonal and editorial intercourse, extend- ing over a quarter of a centur)^, with the salt-water fishermen of New York city, ten thousand of whom go a-fishing every week of the season, I have never heard of A. vulpcs being taken by any of these rodsters. But negative proof is no proof at all, even when reinforced by the fa6l that no angling record exists of the true bonefish being caught on the hook in any waters north of Biscayne Bay, Florida, a circumstance which is unusual when we consider that the east and west coasts of that state are annually visited by thousands of eager, intelligent and observant anglers, a few only of whom have caiight this fish, and only in Biscayne Bay. They at once classed it as the fiercest fighter for its size in southern seas, and in this connedlion it must be noted that the presence of game qualities in a fish is an assurance that its habits, habitat and physical markings will be studied by the angler who catches it, particu-
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