22 FISHES. 



same moment, conglomerates of many thousands 

 of young fishes, steahng out from some cavern near 

 the surface and coasting among the shoals, when 

 perhaps, the flicker of a passing depredator below, 

 or the shadow of a hovering sea bird aloft, produces 

 a sudden rush, and all have taken shelter under the 

 bank. Further out in the deep blue sea he hears 

 the noise of a ripple and he sees the Skip Jack or 

 the Balahoo (Scomber Saliens and Hemiramphus) 

 hopping on the surface of the waters by means of a 

 peculiar action of their tails. Next comes an unusual 

 stillness far and near, nothing appears to move, but 

 presently the huge dorsal of an enormous shark is 

 visible above the water, moving sluggishly forward 

 as if void of purpose, and looking attentively down ; 

 the observer may perhaps perceive one or more 

 Pilot fish, Naucrates Ductor, already in advance, 

 straggling as if in quest of prey for the monster, 

 while he passes on it would seem in a heedless course. 

 Next he may be startled by a sudden splash behind 

 him, and turning round observe only circles on the wa- 

 ter, but in a momenta bird is seen emerging from the 

 deep, a Procellaria, a Pelican, a Sterna, or perchance 

 a Tachypetes aquillus (Frigate bird), and rising into 

 air to bear off' the prey upon which he had darted 

 from above ; or looking along the horizon he sees 

 them intercept flying fish before they can return to 

 the water, or still more singularly pursue the gulls 

 and boobies, strike them with their wings, and com- 

 peUing them to disgorge their food, catch it in the 

 fall ere it reaches the surface. In the offing, where 

 a passing breeze occasionally ruffles the sea into the 

 deepest indigo, as the sun declines towards fiery 

 banks of red clouds, he may occasionally observe 

 some of the larger Cetacea (Grampus and Blowers) 

 snorting and spouting water into the air, and gambol 

 in the deep, sometimes shooting their whole enormous 

 length high above the surface. This is, however, 

 considered a sign of foul v^^eather, especially if about 

 the same period the sea fowl are seen circling and 



