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Otago Witness, Issue 1910, 29 June 1888, Page 28

ANGLING.

''fishxngiMmifor inserivm'intHis'cofumn. interiion intht ensuing issue they ithotUclrdacht'Btmidin by * Monday night?? iiiail.]y-'r&-s*M .<^b'&- 'A" ,-f:V" - ••*--■= •■ „«"'.."; ' Siji r~ -TrrTTpi «.&->,' &'.''V • ■ '.'''■;-• ; BY JOCR : SCQ^ V / ''r^Vm^mb l ers^ofivoie* r^fai4iy 36ryw^f9 are .atriotly-; marine ; bq,| .only "tw,? 1 p£, .'Jsh© '«eriera are surface-forms, 'the others inhab|ting,,depths Jo9iL.'Kpndxed"falinomß and between that and such strata as are lit np by a certain. proportion! of , ittrCrays. 4 Th'e. rejative depth at which the different' forms live is largely assumed from the si^and^deveropnient^bf the eyes' and*^tKeimore^oi 'less highly developed apparatus for the secretion of superficial mucus. The fishes of "thiß Meagre -family are chiefly ■coast fishes': of * the tropical jand sub-tropical ;Atla.ntlo, ,and Jndian. Ocoansi preferring the neighbourhood : ~o£ .■ the* mouths of large ; rivers, into whichjthey. freely enter, some .ofj.the species haying become so completely naturalised in iresh watecthafc they are neverfonninowadays in the.sea. ',» ,- . *J,i^.',.S y<,;- e~* -re \iSfi,, . To ,the ; flame family (Scisenidaa) 'belongs the M ,drajn, J '. so- called .from the.} extraordinary Bounds produced by it. It is still a matter of doubt, says Gunther, by what means the drum produces the ; sounds,^ Spnfe naturalists believe ,-that the sound is caused by, tiaclapping together of the ,-pharyngeal teeth Ipr" f yery. large, s molar teeth; others insist 'toatitjis th^iresulti cf the fishes beating their tails agai^ttTie.bpttom of tfie vessel in.br^erito get, r|d olj'iHe .parasites with which they, are infested. 1 " " \ " v The" Bwordfishe^^are pelagic fi^es, occurring in all tropical and sub; tropical aeas. They are generally found in the" open | ocean, are always vigilant, and, being endowed .with ,e^traor<3inary ( ' strength and velooiby, are rather rarely, captured and hardly.eye'r preserved,. '-"/■, " f , ' ,"'« to .'"Some species of . swqrdfish have tte dorsal finrays exceedingly elongate,' so that'tlie fin, when erected^ projects above the surface of; the water to 'such an .'extent* "ih^t^'wieii*. quietly /floating with, this fan-like appendage erect- and wide spread out the, fish can sail (before the wind like a boat.' The sword is formed, by the prolongation and ppalesence ,pf the. "maxillary andj intermaxillary, bones ; iH is rough atjt'siow.er surface, js very hard and strong, and forinls'a'mostdformid"able weapon. Swordfishes never he^itafe to attack whales and ©>Uer la-rge* Cetaceansi'and sby5 by repeatedly st^bbibfe .them .they generally „ retire from this combat of giante victorious. • ' ' .A& ; they"<JQ not feed.on , the. creatures they thus attack, the cause which;. excites them appears to be an instinct, which, however, they follow so, blindly, that theyj.nbt^rarely, "attack boats' or even . large vessels in' a, similar man- ■* ncr, presumably, mistaking them' for! Cetaceans. They at times .actually pierce o tfie, bottoms of boats and ship's, endabgeripg^their, safety, but, as they are- unable to execute .powerful ; baokward movements, they cannot , always, retracfc - the sword, and' a piece of two-jnch plapk of a whaleboat thus pierced in which, thq sword remains is preserved in the, British Museum. , The man, who, goes .fishingV r sits in & cramp* inviting ' posture r ,dn' ,a ;narn>w " thwart from early morn till dewy eve, a4d,'c|il.la4t fun, is' tbb'same chap that never jfoes. to, <ihurch because the news .aren't comfortable^— rOhristiau at 'Work. ", . .' „ / -:,'.' .,?!• \;-; ;- f ' That is because in the former case he. sometimes' catches some brain food. 'and in, the latter he too often don't. , -*.t\--.\'.> Every crab has his own sidewajk.— Puck.