250 The Dolphin 



with the fish, and the latter is unfit to eat, the silver 

 will turn black ; but since the presence of a trace of 

 sulphur in the water would produce the same effect, 

 I fear it is not a very reliable test. Moreover, as fish 

 caught at sea by sailors is nearly always fried or baked, 

 even that doubtful test cannot usually be applied, 

 and in consequence the hungry seafarer has, as he 

 vulgarly puts it, to ' go it blind,' and hope that he 

 will not wake up with swollen head, distorted and 

 discoloured features, and an acute sense of pain all 

 over his body, these being the more evident symptoms 

 of fish poisoning. It must gratefully be admitted 

 that instances of poisoning by Dolphin are rare, and 

 by bonito and albacore practically non-existent. It 

 is only, as a rule, the curiously shaped and coloured 

 fish caught in out-of-the-way harbours that are 

 dangerous to the eater. None of them are deadly, 

 except the patient be in a very poor state of health, 

 or unable to apply the simple remedies indicated. 



For some curiously finical reason the Dolphin has 

 been supposed to have several different branches in 

 his family ; but like so many other creatures of the 

 sea that have been credited with many ramifications 

 of species, careful investigation has so reduced the 

 supposed varieties that the most eminent ichthyo- 

 logists now only credit Coryphaena with two branches, 

 C. hippurus and C. equisetus. It may well be that 

 even this last distinction will break down upon closer 

 scrutiny, and only one variety be found to obtain all 

 the world over. Still, it is very easy to understand 

 how this opinion as to differing species may arise, 

 owing to the fact that the young differ widely in their 

 fin shapes and contour of head, also the colour arrange- 

 ment is much modified as they grow older. 



But a great difficulty confronts the museum 



