166 



PILOT FISH. 



Acanthopteri. Scombridte. 



{Naucrates ductor.) 



French : Pilote. 



Me. Ledger, of Folkestone, in October, 1868, kindly 

 sent me a pilot fish, which had been taken off Folke- 

 stone in the mackerel nets. It was about the size and 

 shape of a small mackerel ; its lines are evidently made 

 for going at great speed through the water ; it was 9 

 inches in length, and weighed 8oz. Its colours when first 

 received were very beautiful — an emerald green, show- 

 ing different shades, like a lady's shot-silk di-ess, the 

 sides being striped with broad bands of ultramarine 

 colour. I made out three distinct ''par marks'^ on 

 the body ; the head and the caudal portion of the same 

 colour as the bands. Upon the tail there was also an 

 nidication of the same blue colour ; the tail much 

 bifurcated, and each point tipped with a snow-white 

 cap. The tongue is peculiar fi'om having roimd its 

 external margin a white leather - like fringe loosely 

 attached. One mii^ht almost conceive that this was as a 

 fiinge of " tasting " tongue fastened on the edge of the 

 '' prehensile " tongue ; doubtless it is of great use to 

 the fish in his economy. The mystache is small, grace- 

 ful, salmonoid in appearance. 



Everybody knows the story of the pilot fish acting as 

 "guide, philosopher, and friend " to the shark. My 

 own faith, however, is that pilot fish follow the shark 

 to eat the parasitic insects ofi' his body. 



In Land and Water, December 18, Mr. H. Lee 

 writes : — 



"I received, in the third week of September, from 

 Messrs. Mussared and Doughty, fishmongers, Margate, 



