138 LESSER LAUNCE, 



they are an attractive prey to the hungry rovers of the sea, 



who here and there make a plunge into the midst of them, 



to the momentary terror of the little host. They are scattered 



for a time, but they gather closely together again, only, how 



ever, to be broken in upon by another and another plunge, 



until at last they find their safety by piercing into the soft 



sand of the bottom, beneath which the pointed process at the 



extremity of the under jaw enables them to bury themselves, 



and in which they lie concealed without injury to themselves, 



even when the tide has ebbed and left their hiding place 



uncovered. But it is not only that this fish is able to find 



its way to shelter in such a remarkable situation; they are 



able also to move about within it with ease and some degree 



of quickness; for the better accomplishing of Avhich them 



appears to be at the root of the tail a special organization, of 



which the blood vessels are visible, and something corresponding 



to which exists in all fishes which possess the power of 



penetrating into the sand or of covering themselves with it. 



It is in this retreat, concealed and sheltered with the sand of 



the shore, that this Launce sheds its roe; and this it does 



as it holds a tortuous course, the grains being scattered as it 



passes on: and in the west of the kingdom at least this 



process is accomplished at about the shortest days of the year. 



It often happens, however, that their hiding place is broken 



in upon by worse enemies than the prowling natives of the 



deep; and people who value them as a delicacy resort to their 



retreat with hooks or rakes, and thus draw them uj) to light. 



I have been informed by those who have been accustomed 



to this practice, that if the Launce be touched with the hook 



on the posterior part of its body, it will move away through 



the sand with such celerity as scarcely to be again overtaken; 



so that it requires some skill to succeed in M'hat might appear 



so easy an employment as raking these fishes out of the 



concealment of the sand. " 



In some places the Lesser Launce is a favourite bait with 



fishermen; from some of whom I learn further, that when 



Mackarel are discovered to be in pursuit of the Larger or 



Wide-mouthed Launce, a less successful fishery is expected; 



but when these lesser fishes are the object of their rapacity, 



the fishery shews itself much more proiitable. 



