34&amp;lt;1 THE REASON WHY. 



1 Straight as above the surface of the flood 

 They wanton rise, or, urg d by hunger, leap, 

 Then fix, with gentle twitch, the barbed hook.&quot; THOMSO 



with each other ; and the sword-fish, being among the smaller of 

 the races, is armed with a weapon which makes him as formidable 

 as the larger and more powerful kinds. 



1109. The sword-fish living, at least in part, upon the bodies of fishes larger than 

 itself, tises its formidable weapon to lacerate and divide their substance intc 

 convenient morsels. 



The prolonged snout forms an excellent cut-water when the fish makes its arrow- 

 like darts through the water ; and the powerful tail is calculated to drive home the 

 \ccapjn with enormous force. 



1110. Why is the &quot;John Dory&quot; so called? 



This name evidently arises from a corrupt pronunciation of a 

 French term, designating the colour of the lighter parts of the fish, 

 which is yellow, with metallic reflections, and, ^therefore, styled 

 jaune doree, or golden yellow. 



1111. Why are some fishes provided with an apparatus 

 resembling a boy s sucker? 



Because, by pressing this organ against any surface they are 

 enabled to retain their hold without using teeth or fins ; and by 

 this means retain their position in the water at the same time 

 that they catch their food. 



1112. The himp-fish fastens itself by an apparatus on the lower part of its body, 



while the sucking-fish has a similar 

 provision on his back, by which it 

 attaches itself to the shark, or to 

 whatever is afloat, or the bottom of 

 ships. In the cuttle-fish there is to 

 be seen a modification of the same 

 kind of apparatus, which can be 

 turned by the animal in any direc 

 tion, either to fix itself or to drag 

 itself from place to place. There is 

 another fish, called the &quot; Harlequin 

 angler.&quot; The appearance of this 

 fish is grotesque and singular; th 

 pectoral fins resemble short arms, and are palmated at their tips. These fins art 

 converted into feet, and the fish has bet n known to live .hree days out of 

 nd walk about like a dog.* 



* Bell on the Hand. 



