154 



CORYPHvENA. 



tions of eitner one or the other are they exactly the 

 same. At one time they are gold, at a second eme- 

 rald, at a third sapphire, at a fourth amethyst ; then 

 they are carbuncle and ruby, and so on through every 

 imaginable colour, named or unnamed ; and in all they 

 have that radiance which we have mentioned as.among 

 living creatures, belonging only to the inhabitants of 

 the deep. Nor are these uniform changes of the 

 whole shoal ; for as they do not all maintain the same 

 posture, the same attitude, or the same depth in the 

 water, the whole of this variety is given to the eye at 

 once, so that it seems as if every varied beam into 

 which the utmost radiance of a tropical sun can be 

 divided were in continual play over them. 



Then there is another part of the accompaniment 

 which, though it has not all the innocence of this 

 beautiful display of varied colours, is not without in- 

 terest in its own way. These fishes cannot perform 

 their rapid motions, so much exposed to the action of 

 the sun, without considerable waste of their system ; 

 for it is a law of nature, that powerful action, of what- 

 ever kind it may be, requires support and renewal of 

 substance in proportion to its energy. Hence the 

 coryphenes are exceedingly voracious, and it is their 

 voracity which makes them follow the ship with such 

 persevering assiduity. Not, of course, that they ex- 

 pect to eat the ship ; though they are not very par- 

 ticular as to the quality of what they swallow ; but 

 there is always some sort of fat thrown overboard, and 

 this forms the chief attraction which ships have for 

 those fishes that follow them. 



It is singular how such an opinion of the acuteness 

 of smell in fishes could have originated, as the parties 

 have evidence of its falsehood constantly before their 

 eyes. Every one knows that there is nothing pecu- 

 liarly tempting to the olfactory nerves of a trout, in 

 an artificial fly or an artificial minnow, and yet, when 

 skilfully managed, these are as successful as real baits. 

 The very fishes in question too, and indeed the whole 

 mackerel family, seem to hesitate so short a time about 

 smells, that a bit of scarlet rag, tin plate, bright shell 

 or brass button, is taken by them just as readily as 

 any other bait. Even in some of the soft-finned fishes 

 wh'ich seem to have the olfactory nerves a little more 

 developed, there appears to be an equal incapacity of 

 distinguishing between what is food and what is not. 

 When the workmen were occupied in erecting the 

 light-house on the Bell- rock, they found the water 

 over some parts of that rock so thick of whitings that 

 they literally concealed the bottom for an extent of 

 many yards"; and they were as voracious as they were 

 numerous, and as heedless as either; for the men had 

 only to tie a crooked brass pin to the end of a bit of 

 string, and so draw up whitings in any quantity they 

 chose. But to return to the coryphenes. 



All that these fishes can glean from the refuse thrown 

 overboard from a ship would, of course, not support 

 the millionth part of their number ; and consequently 

 they must be provided with other food, otherwise they 

 could not exist in nature. One staple article with 

 them is the flying fishes (see EXOCETUS), which they 

 pursue with nearly the same assiduity as the porpoise 

 pursues salmon, but with much greater success and 

 more splendid effect ; and, if any comparison could be 

 instituted between land predatory animals and sea 

 ones, one might say that the porpoise more resembles 

 a bear on the pursuit, and the coryphene more a leo- 

 pard ; for the porpoise is ugly in its colour, and lum- 

 bering in its motions, while the coryphene is swift 



and beautiful. In both cases the prey, when the case 

 becomes one of extremity, attempts to escape by leap- 

 ing out of the water ; and, though the salmon falls 

 instantly, and, generally speaking, into the mouth of 

 its pursuer, while the flying-fish can keep in the air 

 a little, as if it were supported on wings, yet its flight 

 is short, and it not only increases the chance of being 

 captured bv the coryphene, but also subjects itself to 

 as great danger from another enemy, the albatross or 

 some other pelagic bird. Thus, it appears, that the 

 flying-fish has rather an under share of piscine enjoy- 

 ment. It is usually said that fishes, exempted from 

 the burden of themselves in the air, and also from the 

 vicissitudes of that element, have really nothing to 

 do but enjoy one continual feast by eating one an- 

 other ; for which feast their amazing fertility affords 

 a plentiful supply, in which all that man takes for his 

 use is not missed. 



It is not supposed that the flesh of any species of 

 corypheno is poisonous; but, from the fleetness of their 

 motions it is hard, dry, and tasteless, yet that of many 

 of the species is eaten. 



Cuvier divides the genus into several sub-genera, 

 which we shall barely notice : 



CORYPHENES, properly so called. These have tlio 

 body compressed, the head very much raised, the pro- 

 file arched, the outline descending very rapidly to the 

 muzzle, the eyes situated very low down, teeth on the 

 palate as well as the jaws, and they are of larger size 

 than the others. Their dorsal fin, which is very hand- 

 some, extends all the way from the nape to the tail ; 

 the caudal fin is forked in some, straight in others, 

 and in others again rounded or pointed. 



Coryph&ne hippuris common coryphene. This 

 is the largest species of the whole, attaining the length 

 of at least five feet. It occurs in the Mediterranean, 

 and also in the oceans near the tropics. Its dorsal fin 

 is long, with its edge nearly parallel to the line of the 

 body, and the fork in the tail is deep. The back is 

 bright sea-green, mottled with small orange spots ; 

 the belly is silvery ; the lateral line yellow, the dorsal 

 fin bright sky-blue, with gold coloured rays ; the 

 caudal fin greenish ; and all the remaining fins yellow. 

 This species is the dolphin of the ancient fables. 



Three or more species have been enumerated by 

 systematic writers, as belonging to the forked-tail 

 subdivision of true coryphenes ; but it is exceedingly 

 difficult to determine what is a species, and what is 

 not, in fishes which are so active and so highly co- 

 loured ; and, as the difference between the one and 

 the other does not appear to relate much either to 

 structure or to manners, it is comparatively of little 

 importance. The statement usually made is, that 

 those species which occur to the south-eastward of 

 Asia are brighter in colours, smaller in size, and even 

 more rapid in their motions, than those which occur in 

 the Mediterranean and the Atlantic ; but their mo- 

 tions are so flat, and they are so seldom seen, that we 

 cannot come to any positive conclusions respecting 

 them. We may, however, just mention one or two of 

 the most beautiful of this species. 



Coryphcena aurata (the golden coryphene). This 

 species is found in the Indian seas, is very rare, and 

 has not been met with of so large a size as the cory- 

 phene of the Mediterranean. Its dorsal fin is shorter, 

 and all blue without the gold-coloured rays. The tail 

 is deeply forked, and all over of the colour of polished 

 gold. The body consists of an endless variety of 

 brilliant colours, which it is not possible to describe. 



