Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-03-10
Florida Fish from Fifteen t
TV enty Feet
Long.
The Mol ster sGreat Ray" is
Neatly as broad as
Long.
How These Fish Weighing q Ton
Are Captur-
ed.

The Ray family of fishes is well rep
resented in the maritime waters of
Florida, says a writer in the Detroit
Free Press, and may usually be found
in the haunts of their kindred, the
sharks and saW6Shes. There are three
species in the Gulf of Mexico; namely,
the sting ray, the whip ray, and the
great ray, which is also known as the
sea bat, sea vampire, sea devil and
devilfiSh.
The sting ray carries a barb in its
tail, which can be raised or depressed
at pleasure, and, being very sharp anG
covered with a poisonous excretion, a
wound made by it in the hand of a
man is very likely to prove serious
unless attended to promptly, and the
pain is agonizing.
The eagle or whip ray is a COMPARE
lively harmless creature, and seems to
devote much Of it's time to lashing the
water with it's long, Whip-like caudal,
especially when several are together.
Both these species are locally known as
stingareeS, WhipareeS and clamcrackerS
the latter cognomen being given to
jaw, which enables them to crush she'll
fish with the greatest ease.
These fish are so powerful that Speci-
mems weighing fifty or sixty pounds
can easily tow a boat with two men
in it for an hour or more before sue
cumbing, and even then the sting ray
will lash it's tail against the craft with
all it's might or try to strike the hand
lowered to haul it aboard. The only
way in which this species can safely
be taken aboard is to gaff it near the
head, turn it's back against the side of
the boat, and stick it several times in
the throat with a sharp knife. The
blood will then squirt out as if it were
driven by a force pump.
1t is very dangerous to place a
wounded stingaree in a small craft,
owing to it's habit Of Tapping about
and striking at every object within
range Of it's barbed lance. This and
the whip ray attain about the same
size; being when full grown from ten
to twelve feet in length, and weighing
between $50 and 200 pounds. Large
as they may seem, they are mere pig
mics compared to the great ray or
sea devil, for the latter often measures
from fifteen to twenty feet i'll length
nearly the same in width, and weighs
from 1000 to 1000 pounds, according
to it's condition and the season of the
year. The majority of fishermen seem
! to be afraid of this genuine marine
monster, and carefully avoid attacking
it except under very favorable condi
tons.
Notwithstanding it's enormous size
it is very playful when moving in
shoals, and seems to take the greatest
delight in tapping about near the sur
face, turning over and over, and thrash
ing the water so vigorously with its
huge alar wings as to send clouds OF
mist high irto the air. It moves
through the water very rapidly, anC
with a smooth, butterfly motion tina
causes little commotion even in ttt
calmest weather. The clearer the wat
err the more hideous it looks to novice
with its eyes three or more feet apart
huge, bat-lke head, and long antenna'
and tail, which seems to have length
of six or seven feet. It's blacl1iSh color
white belly With dark spots, and enor
nous mouth give it a terrifying aspec
at first sight, yet it is one Of the mos
harmless fishes in the sea if left alone
: and never, so far as I can learn, at
lacks it's smaller congeners, its foo
being chiefly minute weeds and mo-
lusks. The food is thrown into it
mouth by two long paddles or feeler
: on either side of the jaws, which flu
fill the same purpose, apparently, a
: the trunk of an elephant.
It is very abundant in Charlotte hal
, Dor, the Fahatchee, Shark and Calooss
, hatchie rivers, which empty into tn
Gulf of Mexico, and in the lower pal
of Indian. river on the Atlantic Coas
AS it never takes a baited hook, tn
ordinary means of capturing it is wit
:. a heavy grains or lilly-iron-the latte
being the best, as it retains a goo
hold in the flesh. When struck, th
sea devil lashes the water with it's hug
wings and whip-like tail, and Ofte
throws large quantities of water int
} small craft, or upsets or careens
by q powerful blow, and sends its Occl
pants headlong into the sea. Not b.
ing indicative. it never attacks thel
q with it's mouth, but should they com
! within range Of it's powerful wing
$ some of them would probably receiv
: blows that would send them to eternit
y in a few moments. If it does not II
r injure the boat at the first onslaugf
e it is likely to put to sea and to run III
, til it is exhausted or killed with riff
q or revolver. I have heard of we
G authenticated case where it tOwed
4 boat containing five men thirty-si
z miles and was then overpOwered onl
S when the crew used butcher-kniveS IA
2 tened to poles to stab it in the heat
] I know of several instances where
S towed small boats containing a coupl
i of men from four to a dozen mile
2 and a schooner over a mile. When th
q monster was sought by fishermen o
account of the oil which its liver yielt
ed. many tst- was injured in the col
: tests; but one rarely hears Of mishaI
|, now.
:, / was out with a party of four on
e day in search of tarpoon, Jewish, (
t devilfiSh, but most DESTROYS of meetin
a the latter. We were fortunate enoug
G to run into shoal of them that wei