CHAPTER XV 



THE SCHOOLS OF LITTLE ARROWS 



I SHOULD like to compose a few paragraphs 

 about a fish known as Atherina, and to make cer- 

 tain that my audience is undeceived and interested I 

 will say in the first place that its extreme length and 

 weight are two and a half inches and one and one- 

 third grams (loud scuffling of feet dying out in the 

 distance as Isaac Walton and his followers leave) ; 

 it has been known for one hundred and seventy-five 

 years and is extremely common (exit the clique of 

 taxonomists) ; its name is from the Greek ddeplv 

 and is very appropriate, meaning Little Arrow 

 (feeble applause from the single etymologist pres- 

 ent) ; throughout historical times it has been con- 

 sidered such delicious eating that it has generally 

 been called Fishes of the King (out go the Soviets 

 and their friends and relations, their heavy tread 

 made inaudible by thunderous applause from 

 gentlefolk gourmands). I must state that I know 

 but little of the cause of the schooling habits of this 

 fish (hand-clapping from all honest men left) ; and 

 here I will read two sentences from the most re- 

 cent brochure on this subject (contented sounds 

 from a bibliophile who got in by accident) : 



" In the case of the inherent reactions of any or- 



238 



