MARINE MAMMALS, AND FISHES 105 



purpose of a knot in a lash. It is this lobe which 

 he uses, with such irritating effect, on his huge 

 victim. 



Gunther says that his reported attacks on the 

 whales is due to imperfect observation. To which 

 Day responds : " As it has been abundantly proved 

 that threshers do spring out of the water to strike 

 down prey, I think it open to doubt whether all 

 such observations are to be summarily dismissed, 

 before the accounts are refuted, or another agent 

 convicted." 



Lord Campbell mentions a case of a shark 

 leaping at a whale. Another observer witnessed 

 several sharks similarly engaged, and when one 

 was caught, and brought on board, it was gorged 

 with blubber. Indeed, the reports of seafaring 

 men leave very little room for doubt. 



The thresher makes a still astuter use of his 

 tail. He swims round the shoal in narrowing 

 circles, lashing the water at intervals to drive his 

 alarmed victims in a huddled mass to the centre, 

 where they are at his mercy. 



The sharks produce comparatively few eggs, 

 or young. Against the nine millions of the cod, we 

 hear of from thirty-two to fifty-two in the case 

 of the tope ; of eleven young in that of the smooth 



