The Penn's Grove record., 1888-01-14
RAYS FROM THE SUNNY SOUTH.
Brushy Pt. Fla,
January. LIST 1883,

DluSDy II. Fid.,
January, LIST 1888.
Mr.. EDIToR.-The past week we
have encountered Billiards and ship
wrecks. A northwest gale prevented
us from fishing aN1 the boys regaltd
themselves hunting panama shells out
Oh the beacl two miles from camp as
no water vas within that distance of
our boats. On the Doth ult. the thtr-
NON tor registered Az to So and on
the morning of the 30th 42c. The tenn
perUtuie has registered its normal CON
dition and IS flnctuating between to
and 50. Tie catch of fish for the past
week WAS light. Fenley and HARRISON
now have tie highest net. We have
had a respite from the annoyances of
sharks. but they have been superseded
by purposes and turtles.
The pOrpOlse is Il cetaceous nam
NAL known to fishermen AS puifer,
snuiiiug pig, or herring hog. They
rarely exceed 3 feet in length. All
persons who have visited our sea coast
or river mon tbs have seen them rolling
and putting IN droves offrom ~ to 100.
THY never spring from the water like
sturgeon or dolphin but their motion
is Il rolling one and brlugs the back
iin often mo sight which always ap.
pear shorty after the head has been
exposed, the little puff of spray seen
and the accompanying grunt heard.
The rolling motion is caused by the
fact thai 10 breathe through the nos
trilS, which are situated on the top
of the snGut, they must assume IA
somewhat erect pasture, descending
from which he body passes through an
arc. There breeding a is in sum
mer during The months of August and
September. They feed Oh fish such as
herring and mpnh Iden and are respon-
sible for al enormous destruction of
useful food fish. Their d]epredations
in Tampa Fay are principally confined
to jumping mullet. Tie porpoise is
a migratory animal and r~ugnacious as
well as playful,
One of the fishermen here relates n
circumstance in which lie once tried
to pen a shoal of them in a little
creek by aurhnring his boat across its
entrance. when they came down the
creek they sprang over against the sail.
through which they tore their wav and
regained the river. 1t is also reported
that at Rockaway beach early n
morning the guests of the hotel were
awakened BY a great splashing on the
beach and : noise somewhat similar to,
hut less ii stinct than the grunt of
frightened hogs. Looking ont of the
windows they saw pOrpOises striking
the drum-hsh with their tails. Soon
after the porpoises turned and left,
after which the porters at the hotel
secured about 25 dead drum-fsh and
a large number of dead ones floated
around in the Bay.
The drum fish weighed from 80 to
10 lbs. Being an enemy of the oyster
it is possible that the porpoise by de
stroying item is a benefactOr. Mr..
Couper of Fla, relates a story of a
battle between PROPOSES and alligators
III Fla, in 1915. He saw a shoal of
pnrpoises coming up the Altamaha
river to the feeding ground of the "A Ii.
gators. Tlere were seen abou 80 al
lieators each with head and neck rails
ed looking down the stream as their
enemies brfOre whom they had fled
terror stri ken. The pOrpOises not
more than a dozen in number were
evidently com )lete masters of the field.
So pnwerf Il are they that they toss
alligatOrs ashore with their snouts and
whip them to death with their tails.
We frequently see them in the edge of
the surf going with the speed of a
swift steary boat, causing the spray to
fly 20 feet N the air. At Cape Hat
teras, N. E. al extensive industry has
been Startel, operated by Delaware cap
italist Whey porpoises are caught by
nets. Leather is made from their skin
and the carcass is manufactured into
oil aud fertilizer.
The species of tOrtoises which in.
habit the territory of the U. ). n
adjacent stas are 43 in number. The
lOggerheao turtle is a common habitu-
ate of Tappa bay and a very prevalent
nuisance tD the sturgeon fishermen.
The bogs trap huge ones daily in
their nets weighing 800 lbs. and up
wards. s. completely do they twist
the net ABOUT them that it is with
great difficulty that they are disentan.
gled. The distinguished name of log.
gerhead is givea to the turtle on ac-