BLIND TOM. 53 



the path where we were standing, and the fish followed 

 them. So anxious were the cod to obtain the mussels 

 that they came to the very edge of the pond, fighting 

 for the food. I asked the General to send the woman 

 away, but to leave her mussel-basket, in order that I 

 might make my observations quietly ; and this I did 

 under great difficulties, as it was blowing a gale of wind, 

 and raining cold rain in torrents. 



I feel convinced that fish — at least General McDouall's 

 cod-fish — have an intelligence for which we never give 

 them credit. A cod's head and shoulders, boiled and 

 put on the table, with its forlorn and woe-begone 

 features, is a very different thing from the head of a 

 hungry cod in perfect health looking for his dinner. 

 The eye has great power of motion, great quickness, and 

 I should say an almost telescopic vision — in water this 

 of course. Again, the cod carries his three barbels or 

 feeders on his lower jaw, stiffly protruded in front of his 

 jaw, like the antennae of an ant. They are exceedingly 

 sensitive, for the moment I attempted to pinch one of 

 them the cod drew back smartly. Among the other 

 fish is a cod who has only one eye, but that is a piercer; 

 they call him "Blind Tom." This old fellow came 

 sailing round and round, with his blind eye away from 

 me ; but I managed, as he was passing with his blind 

 eye towards me, to touch one of his feelers ; it was a case 

 of " threes about " in a moment ; and when he turned 

 round again, the old boy's solemn, half- frightened face 

 and indignant glance of his one eye were most absurd. 



Having plenty of mussels, and keeping very quiet, I 

 made fi-iends with these dear cod-fish. They all came 

 quite up to the edge, just like chickens, to be fed. In 

 their anxiety to get the food, they thrust their heads 

 quite out of the water, and occasionally an energetic 



