Historia Naturalis Brasiliae Research Articles

Nature portrayed in images in Dutch Brazil: Tracing the sources of the plant woodcuts in the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648).

By the mid-seventeenth century, images of natural elements that originated in Dutch Brazil circulated in Europe. These were often included in art collections (the Libri Picturati) and natural history treatises (the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae and the India Utriesque re Naturale et Medica, 1658). The plant woodcut images in these books constituted (icono) type specimens and played a significant role in disseminating scientific botanical knowledge. We present a systematic analysis of their origins by cross-referencing the visual and textual sources related to Dutch Brazil. To do so, we used our previous botanical identifications of the portrayed plants, published sources, and digital archival material. The plant woodcuts accounted for 529 images, which corresponded to 426 taxa. We created a PDF booklet to visualize the (dis-) similarities of the woodcuts with the Libri Picturati and other visual sources. Substantial differences in the visual-making methodology exist between the two treatises (1648, 1658). In the first book, most of the images were available from Dutch Brazil and carved into the woodcuts, while most of these woodcuts were reused in the second one. The Indigenous Tupi-based plant names accompanying the images were crucial when arranging the sources, and portraying as much botanical information as possible was commonly the goal. Freshly picked, living plants, dried branches, fruits, and seeds were used to represent the megadiverse Brazilian flora, even when these belonged to species originating from other regions. Despite not being recognized for their contribution, Indigenous Brazilians and enslaved Africans were essential in the visual knowledge-making processes that later resulted in these natural history collections. As several sources remain lost and many histories yet untold, further archival studies and collaborative projects are pertinent to reveal the missing pieces of this conundrum.

The earliest iconographic record of Gobioides broussonnetii La Cepède, 1800 (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae): the species identity of the “Caramuru” paintings of Dutch Brazil (1624-1654)

During the Mauritian period of Dutch Brazil (1637‑1644), a great deal of information about the biota of northeastern Brazil was obtained, consisting of both written records and paintings. Among them is an eel-like fish, depicted in two paintings labeled “Caramurû” and “Caramuru”, whose taxonomic identity is controversial. One of them, attributed to Albert Eckhout, is part of the Theatrum Rerum Naturalium Brasiliae collection, stored at the Jagiellonian University Library, in Poland. This painting was possibly a model for the second “Caramuru”, of unknown authorship, which is deposited at the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These paintings are doubtfully identified as the snake eel Echiophis intertinctus (Ophichthidae, Anguilliformes), a proposal likely induced by the vulgar name “caramuru”, which is applied to muraenids and ophichthids in Brazil. After careful examination of these two paintings regarding the anatomical details depicted, we concluded that the fish corresponds, with great certainty, to Gobioides broussonnetii (Gobiidae, Gobiiformes), popularly known as “aimoré” and “tajasica”. Furthermore, we suggest the possibility that the written counterpart of these paintings is the description associated with the woodcut of the fish labeled as “Tajasica” in the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (Marggraf in de Laet, 1648). The confusion probably stems from mismatches between Georg Marggraf’s descriptions and the images of organisms produced at the time, perhaps before the return of Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen’s entourage to Europe. In an attempt to support our conclusions about the identity of that fish, as well as for historical purposes, we also discuss the vernacular names applied to G. broussonnetii and the authorship of the notes made on those paintings.

Analysis of historical botanical reports of species of Fabaceae in Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648)

Abstract Historia Naturalis Brasiliae, a reference work for Brazilian natural sciences, contains information on species observed by 17th century naturalists. Among the reports, the botanical family Fabaceae deserves to be highlighted among the taxa that make up the Brazilian flora due to its richness of species and economic interest. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to retrieve information regarding Fabaceae cited in Historia Naturalis Brasiliae by naturalists Piso & Marggraf (1648), with the aim of identifying potential resources of Brazilian flora in conjunction with local knowledge about potential species today and how historical changes have influenced the use of these plant resources. Documentary data were analyzed in the original source and in Pickel’s 2008 review work (Flora do Nordeste do Brasil). The information was organized in a database and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The analysis recovered 49 species belonging to the botanical family Fabaceae in the work. Of this total, 33 species and two genera had their use mentioned in the work, the reports of which were subdivided into four categories, with the highest percentage being for the category of medicinal use (69.23%). Of the plants reported for medicinal use, 18 species and one genus had no records in contemporary works. The analyses presented here contribute to expanding the knowledge of Fabaceae, the recovery of knowledge of plants from past centuries, and the discussion of the influence of factors that cause historical changes in use patterns, thus enriching studies in the field of botany, particularly historical ethnobotany.

Looking into the flora of Dutch Brazil: botanical identifications of seventeenth century plant illustrations in the Libri Picturati

The Libri Picturati includes a collection of plant illustrations from seventeenth century Dutch Brazil that is kept in the Jagiellonian library in Krakow since World War II. While many studies focused on the artistic details and history of these images, we identified the flora depicted. We used contemporary textual sources (e.g., Historia Naturalis Brasiliae), monographs and taxonomist’ assessments. We checked origin, life form, domestication and conservation status and the plant parts that are represented. We identified 198 taxa, consisting mostly of wild, native rainforest trees and 35 introduced species. Fertile branches are the most represented, although some loose dry fruits and sterile material were also painted, which sheds light into the collection methods by naturalists in Dutch Brazil. Several species are no longer abundant or have become invasive due to anthropogenic influences since colonialism. Through this botanical iconography, we traced the first records of the sunflower and the Ethiopian pepper in Brazil, as well as the dispersion and assimilation of the flora encountered in the colony by Indigenous, African and European peoples. We emphasized the relevance of combining visual and textual sources when studying natural history collections and we highlighted how digitalization makes these artistic and scientific collections more accessible.

Marcgrave's red-tailed monkey: the earliest European depiction of a titi monkey

Among the approximately 40 species of mammals described in Historia naturalis Brasiliae by Willem Piso and Georg Marcgrave, the identity of the monkey “cagui major” has been one of the most controversial. Authors have identified Marcgrave's “cagui major” as a tamarin, a saki monkey, a squirrel monkey, a titi monkey and even as an Old-World monkey. Based on a watercolour, probably related to the original illustration that served as basis for the “cagui major” woodcut, we confirm that it depicts a titi monkey ( Callicebus). By comparing the pelage characteristics shown in the drawing and some measurements and pelage characteristics described in Historia naturalis Brasiliae, we confirm that the species depicted was Callicebus melanochir that occurs today in southern Bahia and northeastern Minas Gerais states, outside the range of the Dutch possessions in Brazil.

Marcgrave and Piso's plants for sale: The presence of plant species and names from the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648) in contemporary Brazilian markets

Ethnopharmacological relevanceParallelisms between current and historical medicinal practices as described in the seventeenth century treatise Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (HNB) provide us with an overview of traditional plant knowledge transformations. Local markets reflect the actual plant use in urban and rural surroundings, allowing us to trace cross-century similarities of ethnobotanical knowledge. Aims of the study: We aim to verify in how far the HNB, created in seventeenth-century northeastern Brazil, correlates with contemporary plant use in the country by comparing the plant knowledge therein with recent plant market surveys at national level. Materials and methodsWe conducted a literature review on ethnobotanical market surveys in Brazil. We used the retrieved data on plant composition and vernacular names, together with our own fieldwork from the Ver-o-Peso market in Belém, to compare each market repertoire with the useful species in the HNB. We analyzed similarities among markets and the HNB with a Detrended Correspondence Analysis and by creating Venn diagrams. We analyzed the methods of the different markets to check whether they influenced our results. ResultsOut of the 24 markets reviewed, the greatest similarities with the HNB are seen in northern Brazilian markets, both in plant composition and vernacular names, followed by the northeast. The least overlap is found with markets in the central west and Rio de Janeiro. Most of the shared vernacular names with the HNB belonged to languages of the Tupi linguistic family. ConclusionThe similarity patterns in floristic composition among Brazilian markets and the HNB indicate the current wider distribution and trade of the species that Marcgrave and Piso described in 1648 in the northeast. Migration of indigenous groups, environmental changes, globalized and homogenous plant trade, and different market survey methods played a role in these results. The HNB is a reference point in time that captures a moment of colonial cultural transformations.

Plant Knowledge in the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648): Retentions of Seventeenth-Century Plant Use in Brazil

The Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (HNB, 1648) is the most complete treatise on Brazilian flora and fauna created in the seventeenth century. Scientists Marcgrave and Piso depicted hundreds of plants and described uses, vernacular names, and diseases in Dutch Brazil. We aimed to verify whether these plants are still used similarly, using herbarium vouchers and taxonomic literature to identify the species described in the HNB and reviewing historical and modern ethnobotanical literature to analyze whether the HNB documented specific plants and uses for the northeast region. We highlighted Old World species, as they indicate plant introduction before and during the trans-Atlantic slave trade and exchange of African ethnobotanical knowledge. Of the 378 species found in the HNB, 256 (68%) were useful, mostly used for healing and food in a similar way (80%) both in the seventeenth century and in modern Brazil. Only one species (Swartzia pickelii) is endemic to northeast Brazil, while the others are more widely distributed. The HNB includes one of the first reports on African crops in Brazil, such as sesame, okra, and spider plant. This study brings insights on indigenous and African plant knowledge retentions since the creation of the HNB and acknowledges its non-European contributors.

Cereus jamacaru DC. (Cactaceae): From 17 th century naturalists to modern day scientific and technological prospecting

ABSTRACT Mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru DC - Cactaceae) possesses peculiar physiological and morphological characteristics that allow it to withstand long periods of scarcity and to adapt to different environments. Several uses have also been reported for the species from the 17th century to the present day. Given this history and the importance of the usage of mandacaru, the present investigation aimed to gather information about its uses from different documentary sources, and to perform a comparative analysis between past and present uses. Historia Naturalis Brasiliae by Piso and Marcgrave (17th century) served as the primary source, while information on labels of exsicates in botanical collections, basic scientific literature, and applications for patent filing at INPI, EPO, USPTO, WIPO (until October 2017), served as secondary sources. According to established categories of use, both the primary source and secondary sources revealed that mandacaru has had several applications, among which use for food and medicinal purposes stand out. Other uses, such as ornamental, magical-religious, civil construction and rural fences, were also reported. Despite the numerous references of usage in the documentary sources, knowledge about the potential use of C. jamacaru is not widely spread nor well protected.

REPORTS OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE USES OF CACTACEAE SPECIES IN THE HISTORIA NATURALIS BRASILIAE (1648): COMPARATIVE PAST-PRESENT ANALYSES

Cactaceae species have diverse uses in Brazil, principally in the northeastern region of that country, and show morphological and physiological characteristics adapted to different environments and being useful to the man as well to the animals. In general, cacti are perennial and present in all stations, and demonstrate specialized survival characteristics, and may present leaves modified to form spines, and these species are generally suculent. These plants have significant biological and ecological value in the northeastern of Brazil being present in the Caatinga environment which is characterized as an ecosystem presenting adverse environmental conditions in terms of both its climate and soils. Cactaceae are cited in the historical tome of the 17 th century, Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648), by Piso and Marcgrave which contains one of the first considered scientific records of the Brazilian flora. In light of the singular value of this work, seven species of Cactaceae cited by those naturalists were examined in detail. It was also aimed to establish past-present timelines of Cactaceae species comparing their historic and present qualitative and quantitative uses. It was utilized as methodological path: documental, qualitative and quantitative researches. It was observed that six of the seven species described in that work are still utilized for different uses or/and conservative uses by human populations. The use-categories of Cactaceae cited in the original work and in more recently documents are: medicinal, ornamental, food resources, accessories, shade, bio-indicators, construction, magic-religious, fuel, forage, living fences, technology, and veterinary. It is remarkable that the categories medicinal, forage and living fences are cited in both past and present records. The records of Piso and Marcgrave are of significant importance in terms of understanding the temporal dynamics of the use of Cactaceae species, and the wellspring of this work ensures its continued contribution to future research in different areas.

Precursors of the botanical exploration of South America. Wilhelm Piso (1611–1678) and Georg Marcgrave (1610–1644)

The Dutch colonization of northeastern Brazil from 1630 to 1654 is described, with emphasis on the years 1636–1644, when the colony was under the administration of Johan-Maurits Prince of Nassau-Siegen (1604–1679). During his rule, the Company sent the geographer and astronomer Georg Marcgrave (1610–1644) and the physician Wilhelm Piso (1611–1644) to Recife. Both explored northern Brazil and made rich botanical and zoological collections, which were published in Amsterdam in 1648, after Pisos’s return, under the title Historia Naturalis Brasiliae; a second edition followed in 1658. In this work Piso mentions for the first time the orchid Vanilla in its current spelling. Both Piso and Marcgrave collected and illustrated Catasetum maculatum L.C.R., whilst a third orchid species, Trigonidium acuminatum Batem., can be found in Marcgrave’s herbarium.

REPORTS OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE USES OF CACTACEAE SPECIES IN THE HISTORIA NATURALIS BRASILIAE (1648): COMPARATIVE PAST-PRESENT ANALYSES

Cactaceae species have diverse uses in Brazil, principally in the northeastern region of that country, and show morphological and physiological characteristics adapted to different environments and being useful to the man as well to the animals. In general, cacti are perennial and present in all stations, and demonstrate specialized survival characteristics, and may present leaves modified to form spines, and these species are generally suculent. These plants have significant biological and ecological value in the northeastern of Brazil being present in the Caatinga environment which is characterized as an ecosystem presenting adverse environmental conditions in terms of both its climate and soils. Cactaceae are cited in the historical tome of the 17 th century, Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648), by Piso and Marcgrave which contains one of the first considered scientific records of the Brazilian flora. In light of the singular value of this work, seven species of Cactaceae cited by those naturalists were examined in detail. It was also aimed to establish past-present timelines of Cactaceae species comparing their historic and present qualitative and quantitative uses. It was utilized as methodological path: documental, qualitative and quantitative researches. It was observed that six of the seven species described in that work are still utilized for different uses or/and conservative uses by human populations. The use-categories of Cactaceae cited in the original work and in more recently documents are: medicinal, ornamental, food resources, accessories, shade, bio-indicators, construction, magic-religious, fuel, forage, living fences, technology, and veterinary. It is remarkable that the categories medicinal, forage and living fences are cited in both past and present records. The records of Piso and Marcgrave are of significant importance in terms of understanding the temporal dynamics of the use of Cactaceae species, and the wellspring of this work ensures its continued contribution to future research in different areas.

Food flora in 17th century Northeast region of Brazil in Historia Naturalis Brasiliae.

BackgroundThis article reports historical ethnobotany research conducted from a study of the work Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (Natural History of Brazil), authored by Piso and Marcgrave and published in 1648, with main focus on Caatinga of northeast region of Brazil.MethodsFocusing the content analysis on the section dedicated to plant species with multiple uses, Marcgrave's contribution to the aforementioned work, this research had the following objectives: the retrieval of 17th century knowledge about the food uses of the flora in the northeast region of Brazil, including the taxonomic classifications; the identification of plant parts, their modes of consumption and the ethnic group of consumers; and the verification of the use of these species over time.ResultsThe use of 80 food species at the time of the publication of the work is indicated, some of which are endemic to the Caatinga, such as “umbu” (Spondias tuberosa Arruda), “mandacaru” (Cereus jamacaru DC.) and “carnauba” (Copernicia cerifera Mart.). It is noticeable that among the species listed by Marcgrave, some species still lack current studies indicating their real nutritional value. The present study is an unprecedented work because it introduces, in a systematic way, the food plants described in a study of 17th century Brazil.ConclusionsFinally, this study makes information about plants consumed in the past accessible, aiming to provide material for studies that could develop new food products today.

Georg Marcgraf (1610 – c. 1644): A German Cartographer, Astronomer, and Naturalist-Illustrator in Colonial Dutch Brazil

The German scholar Georg Marcgraf was the first trained astronomer in the New World and co-author of the earliest published natural history of Brazil, Historia naturalis Brasiliae (Leiden and Amsterdam 1648) (Fig. 1). Arriving in the Americas in 1638, Marcgraf took his place among a remarkable group of scholars and painters assembled at the Brazilian court of the German count Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen (1604–1679), the governor-general of Dutch Brazil from 1637–1644.1 Dutch Brazil was established by the Dutch West India Company (WIC), which was created in 1621 to engage in trade, conquest, and colonisation in the Americas and Africa. Except for Marcgraf, the most important members of the Count's entourage were Dutch and included the painters Albert Eckhout (c. 1610 - c. 1666) and Frans Post (1612–1680) and the physician Willem Piso (1611–1678). The rich group of scientific and visual materials they created are comparable in both scope and importance with the works created by Sydney Parkinson, William Hodges, and others during the Pacific voyages of Captain Cook in the eighteenth century.2 The Count's support of natural history, astronomy, and scientific and ethnographic illustration during his governorship was highly unusual, setting him apart from other colonial administrators and military leaders in the seventeenth century. Indeed, he is responsible for establishing both the first observatory and the first botanical garden in the New World, sparing no expense in creating a princely empire for himself in the Brazilian wilderness.

A note on the spiny lobster described by Marcgrave in his Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648) : Vianna, M.L., 1987. Crustaceana, 53(3):308–310. Rua Jardim Botanico 182/503, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22461, Brazil

A note on the spiny lobster described by Marcgrave in his Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648) : Vianna, M.L., 1987. Crustaceana, 53(3):308–310. Rua Jardim Botanico 182/503, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22461, Brazil

A Note On the Spiny Lobster Described By Marcgrave in His Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648)

The identification of the species which corresponds to Marcgrave's (1648: 185, fig.) spiny lobster Potiquiquiya, as pictured in his famous Historia Naturalis Brasiliae, has been the subject of considerable controversy. With the recent rediscovery of Marcgrave's original drawings, on which the woodcuts used to illustrate his descriptions were based, we can identify the species cor responding to his spiny lobster beyond doubt as Panulirus echinatus (Smith, 1869). Fig. 1 (after which Marcgrave's woodcut is made) shows clearly the presence of interrupted abdominal grooves, and a fine white spotting over a brownish background, and light stripes over the pereiopods. These features cannot be seen in Marcgrave's published figure. The light pencil hand writing ?'Palinurus penicillatus Oliv.) below the figure seems to be W. De Haan's, who studied the drawing in September 1826 in Berlin. Although Marcgrave's woodcut does not present any hint as to the nature of the species (Castro, 1962: 41, pi. 3 fig. 20), Fausto Filho & Costa (1969: 107) speculate that it could refer to Panulirus laevicauda (Latreille) due to the absence of abdominal grooves and the recognition that Marcgrave would never omit such characters in his drawings (... achamos dif?cil n?o ter dado destaque aos sulcos transversais do abdomen, se estes realmente existissem). More recently, in Holthuis, Edwards & Lubbock (1980), Holthuis states: Among sketches of animals made during Marcgraf' s stay in Brazil (1638-1644), now kept in the archives of the branch of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R., there are two water colours of spiny lobster, one clearly is P. echinatus (Smith), the other represents P. laevicauda (Latreille). It is likely there fore that Marcgraf's Potiquiquiya is based on two species. According to Albertin & Faria (1984) and Albertin (pers. comm.), the Leningrad Series are in fact two series of drawings, which are copies of originals attributed to A. Eckhout (which constitute the unpublished volumes of the so-called Theatrum Rerum Naturalium Brasiliae) and originals attributed to G. Marcgrave (which constitute the volumes Libri principis). These copies were probably bought by Peter the Great in the eighteenth cen tury and belonged to his collection, and dating studies establish that they were made after 1650. Fig. 1 is a photograph of the original drawing found in the Libri principis. Another drawing of a spiny lobster, in lateral view, corres ponding to one of the copies mentioned by Holthuis, represents even more clearly a specimen of P. echinatus, and was found in the Theatrum.

The biography of Georg Marcgraf (1610-1643/4) by his brother Christian, translated by James Petiver

Georg Marcgraf (or Marcgrave) was born in Liebstadt near Dresden in 1610 and died in Angola in 1643 or 1644. He is best known as the co-author with Willem Pies (or Piso) of the influential Historia naturalis Brasiliae of 1648, a work that for a hundred and fifty years served as the naturalist's vade mecum for Brazil, and indeed for much of the Neotropical region (Piso & Marcgrave, 1648). The abbreviation Marcgr., as well as the curious Brazilian vernacular names to which he gave currency, are frequently met with in 17th and 18th century literature, while many Linnaean and subsequent binomials for animals and plants of Brazil were based wholly or partly on Marcgrafs descriptions and figures. Thus, the Historia is one of those pre-Linnaean works that still demand the attention of the taxonomist. During his six or seven years in Brazil (1638—1643/4), Marcgraf explored such diverse fields as zoology, botany, astronomy, cartography, meteorology and perhaps anthropology. He is a fine example of the polymath working in the field and not the closet. As yet, no comprehensive biography has been attempted of this man whom Gudger (1912) called 'first student of American natural history [who] had he lived but a few years longer to have put into shape his Brazilian collections and observations, would certainly have raised himself to the rank of first natural historian of his time, and possibly the greatest since Aristotle'. The two most important biographical sketches ofMarcgraf have been this paper by Gudger, who concentrated on his zoological work (especially ichthyology); and an earlier paper by Hantsch (1896), who devoted half his essay to Marcgrafs cartography. Gudger did not know Hantsch's essay, while Hantsch did not know Gudger's most important source, the subject of the present paper. Later authors have used Hantsch or Gudger, sometimes both, but have added few new facts and fewer insights. Elsewhere, I have reviewed the various biographical studies and have given a sketch ofMarcgraf s life and an account of his zoology (Whitehead, 1979); a thorough account ofMarcgraf s astronomy is given by North (1979). These two papers, issued as part of the tercentenary celebrations for Marcgrafs patron in Brazil, the Governor-General Count Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen, summarize what little is known of Marcgrafs life and activities.

The original drawings for the Historia naturalis Brasiliae of Piso and Marcgrave (1648)

SUMMARY The Historia naturalis Brasiliae is the most important early account of Brazilian zoology, botany, medicine and, to some extent, ethnology. Its animals and plants were frequently cited by Linnaeus and later authors, but identification of the species is often hindered by the poor descriptions and woodcut illustrations. Much help can be gained, however, from a collection of contemporary drawings and paintings of these same animals and plants, many being the basis for the woodcuts. Officially, this collection is lost, after nearly three hundred years of safekeeping in Berlin, but recent investigations suggest that these precious pictures are now in Poland and that, with persistence, they can once more be made available to scientists and scholars.

Notes on the Sailfish, Istiophorus americanus (Lacepede), in the Western Gulf of Mexico

PISO (1648), in his Historia Naturalis Brasiliae, gives a rough plate that it is possible to identify as the Atlantic sailfish, Istiophorus americanus Lacepede. This is accompanied by a short description in which the author, Marcgrave, names it as Guebucu brasiliensibus. There was no systematic description of any of the genus, however, until Broussonet (1786), working from an East Indian specimen in the British Museum, described it as Scomber gladius, recognizing its affiliation with the mackerels. Later Lacepede (1803) established the genus Histiophorus for the reception of the species. Cuvier and Valenciennes (1831) ignored Broussonet, and assigned the name Histiophorus indicus to the British Museum specimen, and established another species, Histiophorus americanus, on the strength of Marcgrave's description, thus differentiating the American form from that of the Indian Ocean. None of these authors, with the exception of Marcgrave, had opportunity of examining the Brazilian specimen; yet it seems to have been conceded from the description given by him that this fish deserved separation from the Oriental fish of the genus. However, Gunther discarded the name americanus and assumed the Atlantic fish to be identical with that of the Indian Ocean. Most of the confusion originated through lack of sufficient material, and though De La Sagra (1853) and Poey (1858) both stated that the fish was to be found about Cuba, and Schomburgk (1848) included it in his list of fishes of Barbadoes, it was not until 1872 that any modern ichthyologist had opportunity to examine a specimen. In that year a skeleton and plaster cast from a fish taken at Newport, Rhode Island, were presented to the National Museum. In March, 1878, 2 more were taken from a boat running between Savannah, Georgia, and Indian River, Florida, and were brought to the Savannah market, where they occasioned much comment. In 1873 a mutilated specimen was brought from Key West to New York. This constitutes the earlier history of the species, as given by Goode (1880). Little was known about the fish for a good many years more, and it was not until the beginning of its popularity as a game fish that further information was acquired. The greatly increased interest in this type of angling has made available much data, particularly with regard to its range and seasons of occurrence. The following material, compiled on the Texas coast, has not been, as far as can be determined, recorded prior to this note. Combined with it is some material from the waters to the east and to the south.1