FISHES. 281 



It is, probably, as a protection from their chief 

 enemy, the sword-fish, that they seek the society of a 

 ship. I am not aware that the shark is also their 

 enemy ; but they seemed to have an instinctive dread of 

 this large fish, and when it approached the ship, would 

 follow it in shoals, and annoy it in the same manner 

 as the smaller birds may be seen to annoy those of 

 a larger and predaceous kind, as the hawk or owl. 



They are very voracious and miscellaneous feeders. 

 Flying-fish, calmars, and small shoal-fish, are their more 

 natural food; though they do not refuse the animal 

 offal from a ship. Amongst the other food contained 

 in their maw, we have found small ostracions, file-fish, 

 sucking-fish, janthina shells, and pelagic crabs in one 

 instance a small bonita, and in a second a dolphin, 

 eight inches long, and a paper-nautilus shell, contain- 

 ing its sepia tenant. It was often amusing to watch an 

 albacore pursuing a flying-fish, and to mark the pre- 

 cision with which it swam beneath the feeble aeronaut, 

 keeping him steadily in view, and preparing to seize 

 him at the moment of his descent. But this the flying- 

 fish would often elude, by instantaneously renewing 

 his leap, and not unfrequently escaped by extreme 

 agility. 



THE BONITA,* OR BROAD MACKEREL. 



(Scomber Pelamys.} 



This species is smaller than the albacore : seldom 

 exceeding two feet and a half in its entire length. The 

 head is also more pointed ; the pectoral fins are short 

 and straight ; the spurious fins are only eight in num- 

 ber above the tail, and seven beneath ; and it is further 



* A Spanish word, signifying pretty. 



