FISH-RAKE AND GAFF. 119 



natives' diet. They swim in vast shoals close to the surface of 

 the water, and are captured by veritable rakes, one of which is 

 shown in the illustration. The points of the rake are slightly 

 curved, and very sharp, and so numerous are the fish that 

 when the native has struck his rake among the shoal, and 

 drawn it into the boat, he generally finds a fish on every tooth, 

 while it often happens that two or three are transfixed by the 

 same tooth. A sharp knock against the side of the boat shakes 

 off the prey, and the fisherman again strikes his rake into the 

 shoal. By this simple mode of fishing a couple of men will, 

 in a few hours, load a canoe with small but valuable fish. 



Below the rake is the " Gaff," an instrument, not to say a 

 weapon, which is indispensable when salmon or other large fish 

 are to be caught. For ordinary-sized fish a landing-net is suf- 

 ficient, but no landing-net could either receive or retain a 

 salmon of any size. 



Recourse is then had to the Gaff, which is simply a huge 

 hook at the end of a handle. The fish being "played " until it 

 can be drawn within reach, the gaff is slipped under it, struck 

 into the side of the salmon, and by its aid the fish is easily 

 lifted out of the water. 



ON the left hand of the illustration are two figures showing 

 how the principle of the fish-rake and gaff has been anticipated 

 in Nature. 



It is a well-known fact that the Jaguar feeds largely on 

 fish, which it catches for itself. It goes down to the river-side 

 as close to the water as possible, and waits patiently for its 

 prey. As soon as a fish comes within reach, the Jaguar 

 stretches out its paw to the fullest extent, and, with a stroke of 

 the curved claws, hooks the fish on shore, just as the Vancouver 

 Islander does with his fish-rake, or the English angler with his 

 gaff. 



Many persons have practically experienced the gaff-like 

 powers of the feline claw by the loss of their gold-fish. It is 

 seldom safe to leave a globe of gold-fish within reach of a cat. 

 Nearly all cats are madly fond of fish, and, in spite of their 

 instinctive hatred of water, will hook out the fish with their 

 claws, and eat them. Indeed, there are several instances on 

 record where a cat has regularly caught fish, and brought them 



