196 Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology.. 



swam off to where the shark was headed in a contrary direction ; 

 when the monster instantly turned, and followed his informant, 

 which now swam a-head of him, in a direct line towards the sus- 

 pended hait. He did not then hesitate a moment, but seized it, 

 and was captured. While the shark was being hauled on board, 

 the pilot-fish expressed the greatest concern, almost leaping out of 

 the water in their endeavours to follow him, and swimming near 

 the surface with every demonstration of anxiety. These faithful 

 little fish were observed to attach themselves to the ship, but at- 

 tracted little attention until some weeks afterwards, when we spoke 

 the Thomas Grenville, East Indiaman, and lowered a boat to com- 

 municate with her. One of the fish was then seen to accompany 

 the boat to and from the stranger ship, and so devotedly did it at- 

 tend upon what it might have believed to be its lost shark, as to 

 lead the officers of the Thomas Grenville to remark that we had a 

 pilot fish painted on the rudder of the boat. 



Their attendance upon sharks is somewhat capricious ; we have 

 seen more than five associated with one shark, while many others 

 of the latter tribe, and assembled in the water at the same time, 

 have not been accompanied by one of these fishes. They have evi- 

 dently nothing to dread from the voracious companion they select, 

 but swim around, and often a few inches a-head of him, as either 

 their convenience or caprice may dictate. — Bennetts Whaling Voy* 

 age, vol. ii. p. 274. 



18. The Luminous Shark {Squalus fulgens, N. Sp.) — There are 

 so few well authenticated instances of a phosphorescent power ex- 

 isting in fish, as an attribute of life, that it is with some surprise 

 we find this peculiarity inherent in the shark, a family so generally 

 well known and described. The squalus which I have to notice is, 

 however, a nondescript species, and one that certainly possesses a 

 luminous power in a very high degree. 



Two examples of this fish were accidentally taken, at different 

 periods of the voyage, by a net towing on the surface of the sea. 

 The first was obtained in Lat. 2|° S., Long. 163° W., and was 

 ten inches in length. It was captured in the day-time, and, con- 

 sequently, although its novel appearance attracted my attention, its 

 phosphorescent power was not then noticed. The second specimen 

 was taken at night, in Lat. 35° N., Long. 110° W. Its entire 

 length was one and a half foot. Both fishes were alive when ta- 

 ken on board. They fought fiercely with their jaws, and had torn 

 the net in several places. When the larger specimen, taken at 

 night, was removed into a dark apartment, it afforded a very ex- 

 traordinary spectacle. The entire inferior surface of the body and 



