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GREATEST OF DEVILFISHES Thrilling Fight with a Six Thousand -Pound Manta Off the Florida Coast. The largest Manta birostris on record, a monster female eighteen feet long and weighing 0,000 pounds, captured and slain after a terrific battle off the southwest coast of Florida, is now being placed on exhibition at the Museum of Natural History. New York. Though the devilfish is of tremendous strength and great vitality, death is instantaneous when tlio spinal cord is severed at a point just back of the brain. The wonderful vitality of the creature, however, is well known, and there are many instances of it having escaped after being harpooned, lanced and shot many times with rifles of heavy caliber. In starting to hunt this specimen a most effective weapon was required. A huge lance was forged; more than three times as heavy as a whale lance, and having a square cutting edge four inches wide. It was also necessary to devise means to bring the creature to close quarters as soon as possible after harpooning. For this pur-poce a drag of thick timbers, large enough to stop the first rush of the harpooned .fish, was employed. A rope witli heavy knot at the end is passed through both pieces of timber, the knot holding the rope at the end of the thicker beam, and the other end of the rope being attached to the harpoon. The great resistance of this as it drags through the water wrenches the harpoon so severely when the fish rushes that the animal is soon brought up short. The craft used in hunting the big devilfish was a twenty-six-foot open boat, witli an eight horse power gasoline engine. Besides the leader, the .crew consisted of five trained native fishermen, expert in handling the boat and without fear. When all was ready the boat passed out through Captive Inlet into the waters of the gulf. Shortly tho dark form of a huge devilfish was seen. It was on the surface, and the boat moved to the attack. The big creature proved to be a female, swimming on or near the surface .with her mate following. As she was passing, quartering across the bow of the boat, the harpoon was driven deep into her broad, back; then, with a great splash, of her fins, she plunged below and ahead. The drag was snatched under and the shock was so great lliat it brought the devilfish to the surface, making awkward leaps after the manner of a wheel turning over sideways. The harpoon was hurled again, and .the fish disappeared beneath the surface. Soon the wounded monster was seen again, however, charging down on the boat at full speed. Instantly the harioou was put out once more, but the vital sjMit was missed by a few inches. The big drag kept .the fish always near the boat, and she made repeated short rushes to the surface, accompanied by violent blows from the huge pectoral fins. To escape being capsized and sunk by these, as the enraged and wounded creature reached the surface, the boat was steered on to her buck. In this position, while being actually towed upon the back of tliis great fish, the lance was driven home again and again. Afterward a dozen rushes were made by the devilfish to the surface, but each time the boat was maneuvered upon her hack and the harpoon applied. This thrilling and dangerous fight lasted only twenty-two minutes, but the dead devilfish showed twenty-three wounds when examined. The color of the Manta is black, and it has a short thick- rigid tail, flexible only at its origin. While feeding they go alone, moving slowly and turning from side to side with constantly moving cephalic fins, which are used almost like a hand to seize the fowl and convey it to the mouth. Here it is crushed by a formidable array of large molars, perfectly flat, and admirably adapted to their owners needs. The Manta exhibit little fear of either man or boat, and thus offer exceptional advantages for close range observation. Scientific American.
