340 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [52] 
“In the month of August, 1861,” says Couch, “near Westra, one of 
the northernmost islands of the Orkneys, an individual of the smaller 
species of whales, known as the herring-hog, was attacked by a Sword- 
fish; and when thus compelled to leap out of the water, which it did 
to the height of six feet, it was observed that the sword had been thrust 
into the whale’s body behind the pectoral fins. Its leaps continued, 
and then it was perceived that a thrasher was assailing it on the sides.”* 
Captain Crow, quoted by Parnell, relates the following incident as 
having occurred on a voyage to Memel: “One morning, during a calm, 
when near the Hebrides, all hands were called up at 3 a. m. to witness. 
a battle between several of the fish called thrashers or fox-sharks and 
some Sword-fish on one side, and an enormous whale on the other. It 
was the middle of summer, and the weather being clear and the fish 
close to the vessel, we had a fine opportunity of witnessing the contest. 
As soon as the whale’s back appeared above the water, the thrashers, 
springing several yards into the air, descended with great violence upon 
the object of their rancor, and inflicted upon him the most severe slaps 
with their long tails, the sound of which resembled the reports of mus- 
kets fired at a distance. The Sword-fish, in their turn, attacked the dis- 
tressed whale, stabbing from below, and thus beset on all sides and 
wounded, when the poor creature appeared the water around him was 
dyed with blood. In this manner they continued tormenting him and 
wounding him for many hours, and I have no doubt they in the end 
completed his destruction.t 
The following is a story given to Frank Buckland by Mr. Hill, captain 
of an English trawling vessel : 
“The thrasher-sharks just do serve out the whales. The sea some- 
times is all blood. A whale once got under our vessel—the ‘ Hurri- 
cane ’"—to get away from these thrashers, and when she was there we 
were afraid to throw a rope overboard, almost to walk out, for fear she 
would chuck her tail, and punch a hole in our vessel. She was full 
length in water, as clear as gin, right under our bottom, and laid as quiet 
as a lamb for an hour and a-half, and never moved a fin. Where they 
had been a-thrashing of her the sea was just like blood. I have seen 
these ’ere thrashers fly out of the water as high as the mast-head and 
down upon the whale, while the Sword-fish was a-pricking of ’im up 
from underneath. There is always two of ’em, one up and one under, 
and I think they hunts together ; and you can see the poor whale blow 
up in great agitation; and I be bound the pair on ’em don’t leave him 
until they have their penn’orth out of him. It is just for wengeance 
they does it. Whether Master Whale has offended them or not, it’s hard 
to tell. If they eats him they must have a tidy blow-out of him, but I 
don’t think they like the oil. I saw one engagement off the Staples; it 
* History of British Fishes, ii, p. 174. 
t Parnell, Fishes of the Firth of Forth, 1838, p, 216. 
