12 ANIMAL PARASITES AND MESSMATES. 



composed of morsels of fisli wliicli had served as bait, 

 of yomig fish swallowed whole, and of some remains of 

 Crustacea. The remora is simply anchored to his host, 

 and asks from him nothing but his jpassage. He is 

 contented, like the pilot, to fish in the same waters as 

 the shark which transj)orts him. Sailors, even now, are 

 convinced that if any one of these remoras should attach 

 itself to the shij), no human power could cause it to 

 advance, and that it must of necessity stop. It is certain 

 that the fishermen of the Mozambique Channel take 

 advantage of this faculty, to fish for turtles and certain 

 large fish. They pass through the tail of the remora a 

 ring to which a cord is attached, and then send it in 

 pursuit of the first passer-by which they consider worthy 

 to be caught. This kind of fishing resembles in some 

 degree the sport of hawldng with falcons. 



So extraordinary a being could not fail to attract the 

 attention of those among the ancients who were students 

 of nature. Pliny assures us that the remora was used 

 in the pre^^aration of a philtre capable of extinguishing 

 the flames of love. 



There must be many free animal messmates among 

 insects, and entomologists should make them known; 

 for example, many of them live with ants, as the Psela- 

 phidse and Staphylinidas. Certain hairs of these insects, 

 it is said, secrete a sweet liquid of which ants partake 

 greedily. If we may believe a skilful observer, Mons. 

 Lespes, there are some among them, as the Clavigers, 

 which in exchange for the services wdiich they render are 

 fed by the ants themselves. We may also mention the 

 larvae of the Meloe, which seem to live as parasites, and 

 the true nature of which w^as so long unknown. 



