THE SHARKS OF NARBOROUGH 189 



of blood in the water, it seems to me that diffusion 

 cannot be nearly rapid enough to account for the 

 instantaneous reaction on sharks near and far. The 

 phenomenon is as remarkable in general aspect as 

 the apparent materialization from the air of a host 

 of vultures where a few minutes before none were 

 visible. 



Even more than in this problem, I was inter- 

 ested in the exact method of feeding of sharks and 

 groupers. After making sure of the first phase of 

 interest, I allowed a six-foot shark to approach the 

 hooked pigfish. It came rather slowly, then with 

 increased speed and finally made an ineffectual 

 snap at the fish. The third time it seized it by the 

 tail and with a strong sideways twist of the whole 

 body, tore the piece off. The second fish attacked 

 was pulled off the hook, and two sharks then made 

 a simultaneous rush at it. So awkward were they 

 that one caught his jaw in the other's teeth and for 

 a moment both swished about in a vortex of foam 

 at the side of the boat. 



I noted carefully about thirty distinct efforts 

 or attacks on the hooked fish, and only three times 

 was I able by manceuvering the fish to get the 

 shark to turn even sideways, never once on its back 

 as the books so glibly relate. I sacrificed seven pig- 

 fish, and then tried to get the golden grouper but 

 it was too wary. A giant five-foot green grouper, 

 larger than any we had taken thus far, was becom- 

 ing more and more excited however, and when I had 

 tolled him close to the surface I let my fish lure 

 drift loosely. One swift snap and the entire fish 



