circle, at the end of which it came upon one of its 

 playful tormentors and tried to bowl it over. This 

 it essayed to do by wedging its snout between the 

 other's wing and the sand. However, as this was 

 apparently a game at which more than two could 

 play, it was leaving the third member of the party 

 out of the fun, whereupon that individual came to 

 the side of the one now turned aggressor and as- 

 sisted in trying to dislodge its former partner. 



Their combined efforts might have succeeded, 

 had not the resting one decided that enough was 

 enough and suddenly swum to another spot near- 

 by, settling beside a clump of mussels where it 

 awaited the approach of the others with the same 

 obvious indifference that marked the conduct of 

 the first-mentioned fish. 



And so the game continued, each ray taking a 

 turn at the playful, yet seemingly serious, business 

 of holding its post on the sand. There was an occa- 

 sional variation, however, which consisted of a 

 general nosing and jostling by all three at the 

 same time. Doubtless, too, our own engrossment in 

 this pleasing spectacle would have continued to 

 hold us for many moments longer, in spite of the 

 demands of that more serious business which 



[198] 



