Chapter X: Part 10

When the diver is eagerly engaged with his work, he sees suddenly a great shadow fall on the bottom of the sea and he immediately recognizes with horror the spindle-shaped body of the Man-eating Shark. The head is flat; the fore-part of the snout is projected forward; the wide mouth, pushed far back, is supplied with sharp triangular teeth.

The bold robber has seen the diver and comes at him. If he loses his coolness, he will be the spoil of the greedy Shark. He draws his dagger, which he carries with him for such an event. Dexterously he avoids the animal and stabs him deep with the dagger. A great stream of blood stains the water. In his death struggles the mighty animal threshes the water with his great fins and seeks safety in flight. Then another Shark approaches, and again must the diver fight a life and death battle. He is successful in making this enemy also incapable of fighting; then completely exhausted, he gives the signal to be drawn up. But the diver is not always fortunate enough to overcome the horrible animals. He is sometimes terribly torn by the daring Man-eaters.

The back and sides of the Shark are of an ashy brown; beneath it is faded white. The head is flat, and terminates in a nose slightly rounded. Its terrible mouth is in the form of a semi-circle, and of enormous size; the contour of the upper jaw of a Shark of ten yards length being about two yards wide, and its throat being in proportion to this monstrous opening.

When the throat of the Fish is open we see beyond the lips (which are straight and of the consistency of leather) certain plates of teeth, which are triangular and white as ivory. If the Shark is an adult it has in the upper as in the lower jaw six rows of these murderous arms, an arsenal ready to tear and rend its victim. These teeth take different motions according to the will of the animal; and obedient to the muscles round their base, by means of which it can erect or retract its various rows of teeth, it can even erect a portion of any row, while the others remain at rest in their bed. Thus this far-seeing tyrant of the ocean knows how to measure the number and power of the arms necessary to destroy its prey. For the destruction of the weak and defenceless, one row of teeth suffices; for the more formidable adversary it has a whole arsenal at command.

The eyes of the Shark are small, and nearly round; its scent is very subtle; its fins are strong and rough. The tail is possessed of immense power, and is capable of breaking the limb of a robust Man by a single stroke.

He seeks eagerly for human flesh, and haunts the neighborhood where it hopes to find the precious morsel. He follows the ship in which his instinct tells him it is to be found, and makes extraordinary efforts to reach it. He has been known to leap into a boat in order to seize the frightened fishermen; he throws himself upon the ship, cleaving the waves at full speed to snap up some unhappy sailor who has shown himself beyond the bulwarks.

He follows the course of the slaver, watching for the horrors of the middle passage, ready to engulf the Negroes’ corpses as they are thrown into the sea. Commerson relates a significant fact bearing on the subject. The corpse of a Negro had been suspended from a yard-arm twenty feet above the level of the sea. A Shark was seen to make many efforts to reach the body, and it finally succeeded in securing it, member by member, undisturbed by the cries of the horror-stricken crew. In order that an animal so large and heavy should be able to throw itself to this height, the muscles of the tail and posterior parts of the body must have an astonishing power.

The mouth of the Shark being placed in the lower part of the head, it becomes necessary to turn itself round in the water before it can seize the object which is placed above him. He meets with men bold enough to profit by this conformation, and chase this formidable and ferocious creature. On the African coast the Negroes attack the Shark in his own element, swimming towards him, and seizing the moment when he turns himself to rip him up with a sharp knife. This act of courage and audacity cannot, however, be said to be Shark-fishing.

The fishing operation is conducted as follows: Choosing a dark night, a hook is prepared by burying it in a piece of lard and attaching it to a long and solid wire chain. The Shark looks askance at this prey, feels it, then leaves it; he is tempted by withdrawing the bait, when he follows and swallows it gluttonously. He now tries to sink into the water, but, checked by the chain, he struggles and fights. By-and-by he gets exhausted, and the chain is drawn up in such a manner as to raise the head out of the water. Another cord is now thrown out with a running knot or loop, in which the body of the Shark is caught near the tail. Thus bound, the captured Shark is soon lifted on deck, where he is put to death with great precaution as there is still great danger from his bites and the fierce blows of his tail.

THE DOG-FISH.

The Dog-fish, which sometimes attains the length of between three and four feet, is exceedingly voracious. It feeds upon other fish, of which it destroys great quantities; it does not hesitate to attack the fishermen, and especially bathers in the sea. It places itself in ambush, like the Raias, in order to attack its prey.

The flesh of the Dog-fish is hard, smells of musk, and is rarely eaten; but the skin becomes an article of commerce, and is known as shagrin, being, like the skin of the Shark, used for making spectacle-cases and for other ornamental purposes, for which its green color and high polish recommend it.

There is a smaller species than the preceding, which haunts rocky shores, where it lies in wait for its prey. Its spots are larger and more scattered, and its ventral fins are nearly square. It feeds on Molluscs, Crustaceans, and small Fishes.

THE HAMMERHEAD.

The Hammerhead is chiefly distinguished by the singular form of its head, which is flattened horizontally, and the sides prolonged, giving it the appearance of the head of a hammer. The eyes of this Fish are placed at the extremity of these hammer points of the head; they are grey, projecting, and the iris is gold-colored. When the animal is irritated, the colors of the iris become like flame, to the horror of the fishermen who behold them.

Beneath the head and near to the junction of the trunk is the mouth, which is semi-circular, and furnished on each jaw with three or four rows of large teeth pointed and barbed on two sides.

The most common species in our seas is long and slender in the body, which is grey, and the head is black. It usually attains the length of eleven or twelve feet, weighing occasionally nearly five hundred pounds. Its boldness and voracity, and craving for blood, are more remarkable than its size. If the Hammerhead has not the strength of the Shark, it surpasses it in fury; few Fishes are better known to sailors in consequence of its striking form. Its voracity often brings it round ships and near the coast. Its visits impress themselves on the memory of the sailor, and he loves to relate his hair-breadth escape from the meeting.

THE SAW-FISH.

The Saw-fish is distinguished from all other known Fishes by the formidable arm which it carries in its head. This weapon is a prolongation of the nose, which, in place of being rounded off or reduced to a point, forms a long, straight, strong, sword-like termination, flat on both sides, and on the two edges furnished with numerous strong teeth, giving the appearance of a double saw, or one with teeth on both edges.

Thus armed, the Saw-fish—the length of which is from twelve to fifteen feet—fearlessly attacks the fiercest inhabitants of the ocean. With this threatening weapon, sometimes two yards in length, it dares to try its strength with the Whale, and in a combat between the two, the Saw-fish is usually victorious.

The Saw-fish is sometimes called the Sword-fish because of the sword-shape of its long saw, but it should be remembered that these Fishes are entirely distinct, for the Saw-fish belongs to the class of Cartilaginous Fishes, while the real Sword-fish, whose sharp sword is strong and smooth—without the saw-like teeth—is found among the Osseous or bony Fishes in the Mackerel family.

THE STURGEON FAMILY.

The principal Fish belonging to this family are the different kinds of Sturgeon and the strange Chimaera, concerning which so many weird tales have been told.

Four species of Sturgeon are commonly known. The Caviare Sturgeon, the Huso or Isinglass Fish, the Great Sturgeon and the Common Sturgeon. The Caviare Sturgeon is the best known in this country, as well as in European waters, and it is the most eagerly sought after by fishermen because it is from the roe of this Fish that the noted delicacy called caviare is made, which until recent years was confined principally to Russia, but which is now well known and consumed on both continents.

What is known as the Isinglass Fish, besides supplying us with roe similar to that of the Caviare Sturgeon, also furnishes a valuable commodity known as isinglass.

The Common Sturgeon abounds in the North Sea and the Mediterranean. It is usually about two yards to seven feet long, but has been known to attain the length of ten or twelve feet.

It is remarkable for the number and form of the osseous plates or scales, which cover the body like so many bucklers. It has no less than twelve to fifteen of these rough bony plates, relieved by projections, which are pointed in the young, and soften down with age. On each side is a row of thirty to thirty-five of these triangular plates, separated from each other by considerable intervals. The head is broad at the base, gradually contracting towards the point, and terminating in a conical nose. The mouth is large and considerably behind the extremity of the nose, and its jaws, in place of teeth, are furnished with cartilages. Between the mouth and the nose are four slender and very elastic barbs, or wattles, like so many little worms. It is claimed that these wattles attract small Fishes to the jaws of the animal, while it conceals itself among the roots of aquatic plants.

In the sea the Sturgeon feeds on Herrings, Mackerel, Cod-fish and other Fishes of moderate size. In the rivers it attacks the Salmon which ascend them about the same time. Mingling with them, however, it seems a giant. Its flesh is delicate, and in countries where they are caught in quantities it is dried and preserved.

The Great Sturgeon, which sometimes exceeds a thousand pounds, is only found in the rivers which flow into the Caspian and Black seas. The Volga, the Don, and the Danube produce the largest species.

THE CHIMERA.

This curious member of the Sturgeon family resembles the Sturgeon only in the formation of the gills. Otherwise it seems distinct not only from the rest of the family with free gills, but from all other Fishes. Many strange tales have been told of it in the past; and the Arctic Chimera is the monster of mythological antiquity, which used to be represented with the body of a Goat, the head of a Lion, the tail of a Dragon, and a gaping throat that vomited flames. At a later period it was described simply as a monstrous Fish with a Lion’s head. But now that it has become better known, we are inclined to ridicule these old-time tales that surrounded this Fish with a fascinating mystery.

But even now the strange form of the Chimera, the manner in which it moves, the different parts of its hideous mouth and nose, its mode of showing its teeth, its ape-like contortions and grimaces, its long tail which acts with such rapidity—reminding one of a Reptile—all work on the imagination with a horrible fascination, and we can understand how it influenced the superstitious fishermen of the past who noticed its queer antics in the sea, and were too cautious to give it close study.

This strange Fish is usually from five to six feet in length, of a silver color, spotted with brown. The largest variety, known as the Arctic, or the Monster Chimera, inhabits the North Sea, and another species, which closely resembles it, but is somewhat smaller, known as the Antarctic Chimera, is found in the southern hemisphere.

THE OSSEOUS OR BONY FISHES.

Some Naturalists claim that these are the only inhabitants of the water that should be called Fishes—that the Cetacea or the Whale family are simply huge beasts that have taken up their abode in the ocean, and that the cartilagenous Fishes form an amphibious band by themselves.

Others have classed the whole of these three great groups under the name of Fishes. But modern Scientists have settled upon the classification which has been carried out in this little Natural History—the Cetacea are placed among the Mammals and kept entirely distinct from the Fishes (none of which feed and care for their young in the same manner as the Mammals); and the great tribe of Fishes are now divided into two groups of cartilaginous and osseous Fishes, with their numerous sub-divisions into families and species.

We have studied the curious families of the cartilaginous Fishes and now we find more familiar varieties of our well-known Fishes among the families of bony Fishes, although even in this division some very rare and wonderful specimens are found.

The history of any one family of the bony Fishes very closely resembles all the rest—they breathe air and water through the gills. They live by devouring such Fish and the animal life of the great waters as their mouth is capable of admitting. They propagate not by bringing forth their young alive, like the Mammals and a few of the cartilaginous Fishes, nor by distinct eggs, like the remainder of the latter class, but by spawn, as their roe is called, which is made up of hundreds, and in some instances hundreds of thousands of tiny eggs.

The bones of these Fishes also makes them distinct from all others. They have the appearance of being solid, but when examined more closely they are found to be hollow and filled with a substance less oily than marrow. These bones are very numerous and pointed and to them the muscles are fixed which move the different parts of the body.

THE FAMILY OF GLOBE FISH AND COFFERS.

This forms the first group of bony Fishes, which are distinguished by having the jaw attached to the cranium. In the Globe Fish the jaws have no apparent teeth, but they are furnished with a kind of beak in ivory, which represents them. In the group to which the Coffer Fish belong the nose terminates in a little mouth armed with true teeth. The first group includes the Globe-fish and the Diodons; in the second group we find the Coffers or Ostracions and the File-fish or Balistes.

The skin of the Globe-fish bristles with small slightly projecting spines, which repel their enemies, and even wound the hand that would grasp them. They enjoy, besides, a strange power; they can inflate the lower part of their body, and give it an extension so great that it becomes like an inflated ball, in which the real shape of the Fish is lost. This result is obtained by the introduction of an immense quantity of air into the stomach when it wishes to ascend to the surface. The species of Globe-fish are numerous. Some of them are common in the Nile, where they are frequently left ashore during the annual inundations.

There is a smooth Globe-fish known as the Moon-fish. Its compressed, spineless body, being very round, has been compared to a disk, and more poetically to the moon, to the great circular surface of which the dazzling silvery white disk bears some resemblance. But it is especially during the night that it justifies the name given to it. Then it shines brightly from its own phosphorescent light, at a little distance beneath the surface.

On very dark nights, this Globe-fish is sometimes seen swimming in the soft light which emanates from its body, the rays rendered undulating by the rippling of the water which it traverses, so as to resemble the trembling light of the moon half-veiled in misty vapors. When many of these Fishes rove about together, mingling their silvery trains, the scene suggests the idea of dancing stars. The Moon-fish is common in the Mediterranean, and sometimes reaches the markets of Europe. It is about thirty inches in length.

THE DIODONS.

The curious Diodons differ from the Globe-fish in the form of their bony jaws, each forming only one piece. They differ also in their spines, which are much larger than those of the Globe-fish. These Fishes may be said to be the Hedgehogs and Porcupines of the sea. Like the Globe-fish, they can erect their spines and inflate their bodies.

THE COFFERS.

The Coffers or Ostracions, are without scales, but are covered with regular bony compartments which are so jointed to one another that the body seems to be enclosed in a kind of box or long coffer, which only reveals the fins and a portion of the tail. The body is usually of a triangular shape, although some species are quadrangular; but no matter what the form, this queer bony box gives the Fish an odd appearance, making it distinct from all others.

These singular Fishes are found in the Indian Ocean and in the American seas. They are of moderate size, and of little value as food for mankind.

THE FILE-FISH.

These have a compressed body, and the jaws are furnished with eight teeth arranged in a single row on each jaw. The mouth is small and the body is enveloped in very hard scales. The File-fish or Balistes are inhabitants of tropical seas, with one exception. They are brilliantly colored, and as they herd together in great numbers they form curious combinations of rare coloring in the equatorial seas.

THE PIPE-FISH AND SEA-HORSES.

The second division of the bony Fishes is quite small, including only the Pipe-fish and the Sea-horses. These are distinguished by having the gills divided into small round tufts and arranged in pairs—a structure that is peculiar and different from that of any other Fishes. These gills are enclosed under a large cover, which leaves only a small hole for the escape of water which has served the purposes of respiration.

The Pipe-fishes belonging to this family possess a very strange organic peculiarity. Their bodies are long, slender, and slightly tapering, covered with plates set lengthwise; and the skin in swelling forms a pouch near the tail into which the eggs glide to be hatched, and which is afterwards a shelter for the young.

The Trumpet Pipe-fish has a small head and a long cylinder-shaped nose, slightly raised at the end, and terminating in a very small mouth without teeth. It is generally found in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

There is still another Pipe-fish—the Fistularia—not often classed with this family, but found among the spiny-finned Fishes, with an extremely long nose in front of the head; this forms a long tube, in fact, at the end of which is the mouth. This species is common at the Antilles. It reaches a length of about three feet. It feeds upon crustaceans and small Fishes, which it drags from the interstices of the rocks and stones by means of its long pipe.

THE SEA-HORSE.

The queer little Sea-horses which are often found dried among a collection of sea-shells and ocean relics, are only a few inches in length. Their head bears some resemblance to that of a Horse, while the tail resembles the rings of a Caterpillar, and the body is covered with triangular scales. They keep in a vertical position when they swim, and the tail seems on the alert, to seize whatever it meets in the water, clasping the stems of rushes, etc. Once fixed by the tail, the queer little animal seems to watch all the surrounding objects, and darts quickly on any prey presenting itself. They live on Worms and Fish eggs and substances found at the bottom of the sea.

THE FAMILY OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES.

The principal character of the Fishes of this large family (which forms the third group of bony Fishes) is that the rays of the fins are soft, with very few exceptions. They inhabit both the sea and fresh water, and this group is found to include Fishes of the most importance as human food, such as the Herring, the Cod, Salmon, Carp, Pike, and many others.

This family is usually divided into three groups: The Eels—which have already been described with the Lampreys—the various flat Fishes, like the Flounders, Turbot, Plaice, Sole, Halibut, etc., and third, the Fishes already mentioned as the favorites for food, with curious specimens of Flying-fish, etc.

SOME STRANGE SPECIMENS.

In the second division of this family we find several curious specimens before coming to the better known flat Fish which are used for food. The first of these is the Sea-snail, which has a long mucuous body without scales and front fins forming suckers, whereby it can attach itself to the rocks. A curious Lump-fish is also classified here which is very different from the Lump-fish of the Ray family. It has little to distinguish it, except that this also has a strong sucker formed by the disc of the ventral fins. And a third queer specimen is the Echineis—an inhabitant of the Mediterranean, which has a flat disk covering its head, which is formed of a number of movable plates of cartilage. Aided by this queer organ it attaches itself firmly to rocks, and even to ships and larger Fishes which it meets with in its wanderings. Its adhesion to these objects is so strong that the strength of a man often fails to separate them. It sometimes attaches itself to a Shark by means of this strange disk, and makes long voyages on this monstrous locomotive Fish, without fatigue or danger; for its enemies are kept a distance by fear of the fierce monster which carries it.

THE FLAT-FISHES OF THE SOFT-FINNED FAMILY.

These have peculiar flat bodies, greatly compressed, but in a direction different from the flat Fishes of the Ray family. In the case of the Raia, the body is flattened horizontally, but in the Fishes belonging to this family the bodies are compressed laterally—like that of the well-known Flounder. The head of the Fishes of this group are not symmetrical; the two eyes are placed on the same side, and the two sides of the mouth are unequal. These strange flat Fishes are always turned upon their side, and the side turned towards the bottom of the sea is that which has no eye. It is to this habit of swimming on their side that they owe their popular name of side-swimmers.

They advance through the water very slowly compared with the motion of other Fishes. They can ascend or descend in the water very quickly, but cannot turn to the right or left with the same ease as other Fishes. This property of rapidly rising or sinking in the water is more useful to them, as they spend the greater part of their time at the greatest depths, where they draw themselves along the sands at the bottom of the sea, and often hide themselves from their enemies.

THE SOLES.

These flat Fish have an oblong body, the side opposite to the edges being furnished with shaggy, soft hairs; the nose is round and nearly always in advance of the mouth, which is twisted to the felt side, and furnished with teeth only on one side, while the eyes are on the right side. The Common Sole is from eighteen to twenty inches in length. It is brown on the right, and whitish on the opposite side. Its flesh has a very delicate flavor, and it is said to acquire a finer taste by being kept for several days.

THE TURBOT.

The Turbot resembles a lozenge in general form. Its under jaw is more advanced than the upper one, and is furnished with many rows of small teeth. One side is marbled brown and yellow, and the other is white with brownish spots and points; the long rows of soft fins are yellow with brown spots. The true Turbot has always been the special delight of the epicure, and fabulous sums are said to have been paid at different times, in order to secure a fine specimen.

THE FLOUNDERS AND PLAICE.

The Flounders and Plaice inhabit the northern seas of Europe. They are also found along our coasts; the Flounders are fresh water Fishes of small size, abundant in the Thames and many other rivers; and they are desirable for food, although not so delicately flavored as the Turbot. The Common Plaice attains the length of ten or twelve inches. It is brown, spotted with red or orange. On the eye-side of the head are some bony tubercles, but the rest of the body is smooth.

THE HALIBUT AND THE DAB.

The Dab is distinguished from the other flat Fish by having very hard scales on its body, and the Halibut has the distinction of being the largest of this class of flat Fish. It is occasionally caught in the seas of Northern Europe and Greenland, measuring seven feet, and weighing from three to four hundred pounds. The body of the Halibut is more elongated than that of the Plaice or Flounder, and its jaws are armed with strong and pointed teeth.

The natives of Greenland fish for the Halibut with an implement which they call gangnaed. It is composed of a hempen cord five or six hundred yards in length, to which are attached about thirty smaller cords, each furnished with a barbed hook at the end. The larger cord is attached to floating planks, which act as trimmers, indicating the place of this destructive contrivance. At the end of twenty-four hours these lines are drawn from the water, and it is not unusual to find five or six large Halibut caught on the hooks.

Another mode of catching this and other flat Fish is to spear them on their sandy beds. No rule is laid down for this method of fishing; in some places it is carried on successfully by means of a common pitchfork. In other places a fine spear is used for the purpose—very long and with sharp prongs.

THE THIRD GROUP OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES.

This includes the well-known Fishes—of which the Cod-fish is the type—so commonly found on our tables. They are characterized by their pointed fins, and grouped according to the position of these fins. The body is long and slightly compressed; the head well proportioned. Their fins are soft and their scales are small and soft. The majority of these Fishes are too well known to require further description. According to the position of their fins we find forming one of the smaller groups—the Cod, the Whiting and the Haddock. In another small group is the Salmon and the Trout. A third group includes the Pike, and several curious relatives—the Stomias, Flying-fish and the Chetedon. And a fourth includes the Herring, Ancovy, Pilchard, Sprat and Shad.

THE CHEATODONS.

These Fish form a very curious species. They are brilliantly colored and marked with odd stripes. Their head is large, with small eyes placed near the top; the nose and the mouth of some species are very curiously formed; and the tail—which is not divided—also shows strange forms in some varieties.

One of the best known is the Bow-banded Chaetodon. The ground color of this Fish is brown, which shades to black towards the back, and looks as though covered with velvet and inlaid with ivory, and the light stripes in the form of a bow, on both sides of the body give it still more showy appearance. This species inhabits the coasts of Brazil, and other parts of South America, and grows from three to six inches in length. Other varieties are somewhat larger, but they are all comparatively small Fish.

In the winter or rainy seasons they lie deep in holes near the shore. During the summer, when the sun in that climate blazes the whole day, they keep at a depth of twenty to thirty yards, which protects them from its intense heat.

FLYING-FISH.

Strange tales have been told from time to time of the marvellous powers of flight possessed by certain Fishes; and while some of these have been greatly exaggerated, it is nevertheless true that some Fish do possess that power to a surprising degree, yet only on certain limited lines, unlike the upward flight of Birds. (See colored plate).

The front fins of the Flying-fish are transformed into wings by which they are enabled to rise for a few seconds. These wings, however, are neither long nor powerful, for they act the part of a parachute, rather than wings.

These curious fins of the Flying-fish are nearly as long as the whole body; the head is flattened above and on the sides, and the lower part of the body is covered with a long series of scales; and the mouth is filled with small pointed teeth.

The Flying-fishes in their own element are harassed by attacks of other inhabitants of the ocean, and when under the excitement of fear they take to the air, they are equally exposed to the attack of aquatic Birds, especially the various species of Gulls. In their leap from the water, their fins sustain them like parachutes, with which they beat the air. Mr. Bennett’s description is clear on this point. “I have never,” he says, “been able to see any percussion of the pectoral fins during flight; and the greatest length of time I have seen this Fish on the fly has been thirty seconds by the watch, and the longest flight, mentioned by Captain Basil Hall, has been two hundred yards, but he thinks that subsequent observation has extended the space. The usual height of their flight, as seen above the surface of the water, is from two to three feet, but I have known them come on board at the height of fourteen feet and upwards. And they have been well ascertained to come into the chains of a line-of-battle ship, which is considered to be upwards of twenty feet. But it must not be supposed that they have the power of raising themselves into the air after having left their native element; for on watching them I have often seen them fall much below the elevation at which they first rose from the water; nor have I ever in any instance seen them rise from the height to which they first sprang, for I conceive the elevation they take depends on the power of the first spring.”

The brilliant coloring of the Flying-fish would seem designed to point it out to its enemies, against whom it is totally defenceless. A dazzling silvery splendor pervades its surface. The summit of its head, its back, and its sides, are of azure blue; this blue becomes spotted upon the fins and the tail. This Fish is the common prey of the more voracious Fishes, such as the Shark, and also of the Sea-birds; its enemies abound in the air and water. If it succeeds in escaping the Charybdis of the water, the chances are in favor of its coming to grief in the Scylla of the atmosphere; if it escapes the jaws of the Shark, it will probably fall to the share of the Sea-gull.

The Dolphin is also a formidable enemy to the much-persecuted Flying-fish. Captain Basil Hall gives a very animated description of their mode of attack. He was in a prize, a low Spanish schooner, rising not above two feet and a half out of the water. “Two or three Dolphins had ranged past the ship in all their beauty. The ship in her progress through the water had put up a shoal of these Flying-fish which took their flight to windward. A large Dolphin which had been keeping company with us abreast of the weather gangway at the depth of two or three fathoms, and as usual glistening most beautifully in the sun, no sooner detected our poor friends take wing than he turned his head towards them, darted to the surface, and leaped from the water with a velocity little short, as it seemed to us, of a cannon ball. But though the impetus with which he shot himself into the air gave him an initial velocity greatly exceeding that of the Flying-fish, the start which his fated prey had got enabled them to keep ahead of him for a considerable time. The length of the Dolphin’s first spring could not be less than ten yards, and after he fell we could see him gliding like lightning through the water for a moment, when he again rose, and shot upwards with considerably greater velocity than at first, and of course to a still greater distance.

“In this manner the merciless pursuer seemed to strike along the sea with fearful rapidity, while his brilliant coat sparkled and flashed in the sun quite splendidly. As he fell headlong in the water at the end of each leap, a series of circles were sent far over the surface, for the breeze, just enough to keep the royals and topgallant studding-sails extended, was hardly felt as yet below.

“The group of wretched Flying-fishes, thus hotly pursued, at length dropped into the sea; but we were rejoiced to observe that they merely touched the top of the swell, and instantly set off again in a fresh and even more vigorous flight. It was particularly interesting to observe that the direction they took now was quite different from the one in which they had set out, showing that they had detected their fierce enemy, who was following them with giant steps along the waves and was gaining rapidly upon them. His pace, indeed, was two or three times as swift as theirs, poor little things! and the greedy Dolphin was fully as quick-sighted; for whenever they varied their flight in the smallest degree, he lost not the tenth part of a second in shaping his course so as to cut off the chase; while they, in a manner really not unlike that of the Hare, doubled more than once upon the pursuer. But it was soon plainly to be seen that the strength and confidence of the Flying-fish were fast ebbing; their flights became shorter and shorter, and their course more fluttering and uncertain, while the leaps of the Dolphin seemed to grow more vigorous at each bound.

“Eventually this skilful sea-sportsman seemed to arrange his springs so as to fall just under the very spot on which the exhausted Flying-fish were about to drop. This catastrophe took place at too great a distance for us to see from the deck what happened; but on our mounting high on the rigging, we may be said to have been in at the death; for then we could discover that the unfortunate little creatures one after another, either popped right into the Dolphin’s jaws as they lighted on the water, or were snapped up instantly after.”

THE HERRING.

As this Fish is so commonly known in all parts of the world, it would not seem necessary to give it special mention or description, except for the fact of its congregating in such wonderful “schools” at various seasons, and the fact that it forms the principal food of the Whale family. Because of the great quantities in which it is captured in certain parts of the Old World, it has been called the most important of all Fishes for mankind, and the old Hollanders used to say that the Herring fishery was the greater and the Whale fishery the least.

The Herring banks or schools are separated into two groups—the high sea and the coast schools. In each, the Fish are found in unbelievable masses; they extend over a vast space, and in some instances it is claimed that in these great schools the Fish swam so thick that an oar pushed into the midst, did not fall, but remained standing.

It has been stated that about thirty years ago, when one of these great schools were passing, the fishermen of Lowestoft, a coast city of about fifteen thousand inhabitants, in the English county of Suffolk, caught in two days around twenty-two millions of Herring, only a small part of which could be preserved. Neither people, nor casks, nor salt enough were at hand, and the greater part of these Herring were used for fertilizer.

The markings of the Herring are very peculiar in some instances, and have lead to curious superstitions. The back of the Fish is green during life, but after death it becomes an indigo blue color. Other parts vary in their color and markings, sometimes representing written characters, which ignorant fishermen have considered to be words of mystery.

In November, 1587, two Herrings were taken on the coast of Norway on the bodies of which were markings representing Gothic printed characters. These Herrings had the signal honor of being presented to the King of Norway, Frederick II. This superstitious prince turned pale at sight of this supposed prodigy. On the back of these innocent inhabitants of the deep he saw certain cabalistic characters, which he thought announced his death and that of his queen. Learned men were consulted. Their science, as reported, enabled them to read distinctly words expressing the sentiment, “Very soon you will cease to fish Herrings, as well as other people.” Other savants were assembled who gave another explanation; but in 1588 the king died, and the people were firmly convinced that the two Herrings were celestial messengers charged to announce to the Norwegian people the approaching end of the monarch.

This Fish abounds throughout the entire Northern Ocean in immense shoals, which are found in the bays of Greenland, Lapland, and round the whole coast of the British islands. Great shoals of them also occupy the gulfs of Sweden, of Norway and of Denmark.

It was the favorite theory, not very long ago, that Herrings emigrated to and from the arctic regions. It was asserted, by the supporters of this theory, that in the inaccessible seas of high northern latitudes Herring existed in overwhelming numbers, an open sea within the arctic circle affording a safe and bounteous feeding-ground. At the proper season vast bodies gathered themselves together into one great army, which, in numbers exceeding the powers of imagination, departed for more southern regions.

This great Herr, or army, was sub-divided, by some instinct, as they reached the different shores, led, according to the ideas of fishermen, by Herring of more than ordinary size and sagacity, one division taking the west side of Britain, while another took the east side, the result being an adequate and well divided supply of Herrings, which penetrated every bay and arm of the sea.

Closer observation, however, shows that this theory has no existence in fact. Lacepede denies that those periodical journeyings take place. Valenciennes also rejects them. It is true that the Herrings have disappeared in certain neighborhoods in which they were formerly very plentiful; but it is also certain that, in many of the fishing stations, Fish are taken all the year round. Moreover, the discovery that the Herring of America is a distinct species from that of Europe, and that they do not even spawn in the same waters, is fatal to the theory. In short, there is a total absence of proof of their migrations to high northern latitudes, and recent discoveries all tend to show that the Herring is native to the shores on which it is taken.

What seems most surprising is the fact that these harmless little Fishes, which live largely on small crustaceans and small Fishes just hatched, should continue to thrive in such marvellous numbers, when its enemies are the most formidable inhabitants of the ocean. All the different members of the Whale family destroy them by the thousands, and our illustration on Page 247, where the Sword-Whales are feasting on one of the great shoals of Herring, gives a limited idea of the great quantities devoured by these great Fish. Then we must take into consideration that man, on the other hand, carries on a war which threatens to be one of extermination. In fact, the Herring fishery has been to certain nations, the great cause of their prosperity. It was the foundation of Dutch independence. But in spite of this continual war against them, the Herrings continue to thrive and increase, and they are well worthy of the place they have long held as one of the greatest friends and helpers of mankind that has been found in the animal kingdom of the great deep.

THE FAMILY OF SPINY-FINNED FISHES.

This fourth large family of bony Fishes includes the Perch family, which is altogether a fresh water Fish; and many curious species which are found in the sea—like the Weevers, Mullets, Gurnards, Labrus, Frog-fish and Sword-fish. The well known Mackerel family is also included among the Fishes with spiny fins, with the Tunny and the curious Archer-fish.

The Weevers are a good type of these spiny-finned Fishes. They bury themselves in the sand, and are dangerous to the fishermen because of the serious wounds which they inflict with their spines.

THE GURNARDS.

These fascinating Sea-scorpions are remarkable for the hideous appearance of their heads, quite as much as for the beautiful markings of their body. The head is mailed and cuirassed in a wonderful manner; it is very large in proportion to the body, broad in front and compressed at the sides, and completely covered with large spines and fringed barbs; the longest of these are over the eyes, and the broadest near the corners of the mouth; the jaws are furnished with a great number of small sharp teeth; the tongue is loose, thin and pointed at the end; the lips are also movable, and the upper lip is composed of two bones which form a furrow in the middle where they join; the nostrils are single and lie midway between the mouth and the eyes. The whole effect of these Fishes, so different from other species, gives them a disagreeable and even hideous appearance, and has procured for them various names, such as Sea-frog, Sea-devil, Sea-scorpion, and others equally significant. And whether we consider the curious and remarkable appearance of the Red Gurnard as he moves along the sandy bottom, seeming to walk on the strange projections that look like huge toes growing out from the front fins—or the still more startling effect of the Flying Gurnard—it is not surprising that superstitious fishermen have told remarkable tales of these strange Fish in the past.

Twelve species of the Trigula or Gurnards are known. The commonest species are the Grey Gurnard—a silvery grey Fish, clouded with brown, and speckled with black. This is found in British seas. The Red Gurnard is commonly found in the Mediterranean. This is a fine, bright red-rose color, paler beneath and more vivid about the fins. The Perlon or Sapharine Gurnard is a large species, handsomely marked with green and blue hues.

The Flying Gurnard is much like the other Flying-fishes in the formation of the front fins into wings, and in the manner of their flight, but their appearance is very different because of their queer armored head and the large eyes, as well as the brilliant markings peculiar to the Gurnard family.

THE SWORD-FISH.

The Sword-fish, so called from the upper jaw being elongated into a formidable spear or sword, was known to the ancients, and has borne this name which recalls its important characteristic, from very early times. And while the Saw-fish, which belongs to the group of Cartilaginous Fishes, and a species of Sword-whale, have also been known as Sword-fishes, this species—scientifically known as Xiphias gladius—is the real, and the original Sword-fish.

This Fish attains a great size, being found in the Mediterranean and Atlantic from five to six feet in length. Its body is covered with minute scales, the sword forming three-tenths of its length. On the back it bears a single long dorsal fin; the tail is keeled, the lower jaw is sharp, the mouth toothless, the upper part of the Fish bluish-black, merging into silver beneath.

It seems to have a natural desire to exercise towards and against all the arm with which nature has furnished it; it darts with the utmost fury upon the most formidable moving bodies; it attacks the Whale; and there are numerous and well authenticated instances of ships being perforated by the jaw of this powerful creature, while the toothed spear of the Saw-fish has been found fast in the body of a Whale which it has pierced.

In 1725, some carpenters having occasion to examine the bottom of a ship, which had just returned from the Tropical seas, found the lance of a Sword-fish buried deep in the timbers of the ship. They declared that, to drive a pointed bolt of iron of the same size and form to the same depth, would require eight or nine blows of a hammer weighing thirty pounds. From the position of the weapon it was evident that the Fish had followed the ship while under full sail; it had penetrated through the metal sheathing, and three inches and a half beyond, into the solid frame.

The Sword-fish has obstinate combats with the Saw-fish, and even the Shark, and it is supposed that when he attacks the bottom of a vessel he takes that sombre mass for the body of an enemy.

THE ARCHER FISH.

The idea of a Shooting-fish seems quite as odd as that of a Flying-fish, yet the Archer-fish often uses this method of bringing down its prey. For this reason he is sometimes known as the Toxotes—the word meaning a bowman or archer. Although the Archer-fish belongs to this fourth family of bony Fishes—those with spiny fins—it is not only unlike any other species of this family, but unlike any other Fish known; in that it is the only one that goes out gunning for its prey. It possesses the power of spurting water from its mouth with such force as to bring down Insects from aquatic plants within its reach. As it lives almost entirely upon these insects, it may take rather tedious gunning at times to secure enough to satisfy its hunger, and it is decidedly interesting to watch this small archer on one of his hunting expeditions.

In these four groups of cartilaginous Fish, and the four distinct sections of bony Fishes, with their numerous sub-divisions, may be classified all the different Fishes that have become known, through all the careful research of modern Naturalists. Not that they could all be described in this limited space; nor, in fact, even given separate mention. Very few have a clear idea of how many different kinds of Fishes there really are. In the long ago, when Naturalists first made a study of the inhabitants of the water, and began to write the results of their researches, it seemed surprising to them to discover nearly a hundred distinct species. In their different families, Pliny, the Naturalist, described ninety-four species of Fish. Later Linnaeus characterized four hundred and seventy-eight. And, marvellous as it may seem, the Naturalists of the present day know upwards of thirteen thousand, a tenth of which are fresh water Fishes. While all these numerous species may possess some distinct peculiarity, they are sure to possess other characteristics that will classify them with some of these families. And after becoming familiar with the characteristics of this limited number of groups and families we may feel acquainted, to a certain extent, with this whole great throng of nearly thirteen thousand Fishes.

We often hear the fact regretted, that so many of the larger Fish live almost entirely by devouring smaller species. And taking into consideration the immense quantities consumed by mankind each year, not only as they are caught fresh from the water, but the hundreds and thousands of barrels and cans of dried and pickled Fish that are shipped all over the world from the great Salmon and Cod and Herring fisheries, it is sometimes thought that, in time, the different species of Fish must surely be exhausted.

But when we think of this marvellous number of species, and then remember the quantities of a single kind sometimes found in a single shoal (like that of the Herrings, quoted, in which twenty-two millions were caught in two days), there appears to be little danger of the Fishes becoming scarce; for it seems almost past belief that there can be so many finned inhabitants of the vast waters that comprise nearly three-fourths of the surface of the globe.

Transcriber's Note:

Some punctuation has been corrected without note, however inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were retained.

Some page numbers in the table of contents have been corrected and/or rearranged to match the actual page order. Many headings in the table of contents do not correspond directly to the headings in the text. These were left as printed.

Missing page numbers in internal references were added.

The order of illustrations was changed in order to place the illustrations near to the text describing them. The line 'Caracal Defending His Booty from' in the list of illustrations was moved to correspond to the correct illustration.

On p. 73-74, some out of order text was rearranged.

Further corrections are listed below:

Table of Contents Vanderoo -> Wanderoo
Table of Contents Mongousts -> Mangousts
List of Illustrations Mongousts -> Mangousts
p. 15 quator -> quatuor
p. 23 unpronouncable -> unpronounceable
p. 29 Molluses -> Molluscs
p. 33 Plantigrae -> Plantigrade
p. 43 caross -> caress
p. 47 form ancient times -> from ancient times
p. 49 but his thigh -> bit his thigh
p. 52 throug -> through
p. 60 gowl -> growl
p. 61 physicial -> physical
p. 64 Turnsplits -> Turnspits
p. 65 beeen -> been
p. 74 acquatic -> aquatic
p. 74 soons -> soon
p. 79 vegetbles -> vegetables
p. 81 prinicpal ->principal
p. 86 Fliny and other Naturalists -> Pliny and other Naturalists
p. 93 considerale -> considerable
p. 98 omniverous -> omnivorous
p. 101 possesssors -> possessors
p. 113 herbivorour -> herbivorous
p. 127 ruminanting -> ruminating
p. 136 browinsh -> brownish
p. 139 both sex -> both sexes
p. 141 sumer -> summer
p. 152 little us -> little use
p. 152 Moluscs -> Molluscs
p. 153 Narwhale -> Narwhal
p. 156 Nothwithstanding -> Notwithstanding
p. 1566 without and -> without a
p. 161 sime -> some
p. 174 Pyranees -> Pyrenees
p. 174 exhaused -> exhausted
p. 176 heir usefulness -> their usefulness
p. 192 surounded -> surrounded
p. 197 Woodcooks -> Woodcocks
p. 202 slighly -> slightly
p. 207 the also resemble -> they also resemble
p. 208 valeys -> valleys
p. 208 in deed -> indeed
p. 209 hey -> they
p. 215 Plantian -> Plantain
p. 217 resistent -> resistant
p. 219 atractive -> attractive
p. 219 neighhood -> neighborhood
p. 222 Prarie Chickens -> Prairie Chickens
p. 224 seige -> siege (two instances)
p. 227 midde -> middle
p. 229 These consists -> These consist
p. 243 ImmIediately -> Immediately
p. 246 the the elbow -> the elbow
p. 264 spindel-shaped -> spindle-shaped
p. 265 a round -> around
p. 266 nothern -> northern
p. 266 Herring fishers -> Herring fishery
p. 272 famlies -> families
p. 272 imense -> immense