SHORE FISHES. 253 



a bony spine, with smaller ones all over his head, and the 

 inflation of his jaws and gills is for the purpose of forcing 

 these out. Whether he makes any use of them in actual 

 warfare I am unable to state, but they certainly add to his 

 ferocious aspect, and in that way may protect him from many 

 assaults. The more barbarous of the coast-boys delight in 

 fixing corks to these spines, and setting Father Lasher free, 

 get amusement out of his vain efforts to seek his hole at the 

 bottom of the pool. 



The Father Lasher's colouring is a confusion of bands and 

 circles and spots ; of browns arid greens and greys ; a service- 

 able coat that harmonises well with all its surroundings, and 

 one that is capable of adaptation when the fish moves from a 

 bare rock basin to one that has a coralline lining. It can 

 change from dark to light, or vice versa. I have had them 

 almost white by keeping them in a white porcelain dish. The 

 underside is delicate yellow, or pearly white, or iridescent 

 green with darker mottlings. 



In his native pool the Father Lasher likes to take up his 

 quarters under a stone at the bottom, from which he can 

 suddenly rush out at anything he sees move across his field of 

 vision. He does not wait to see what it is ; sufficient that it 

 moves. Satisfied that movement is a sign of life, he secures 

 it in his cavern-like mouth, and then finds out whether it is a 

 palatable morsel or not ; if not, it is summarily ejected and, 

 as he thinks, no harm is done. An angler who simply desires 

 sport can get it in a pool where lives a Father Lasher. Drop 

 down a baited hook, and it will soon be seized by him, but, as 

 he immediately retires to his den to chew it over, you may pull 

 and pull before you get him out. Probably you will lose 

 several hooks before you secure your fish. He is not at all a 

 bad subject for an aquarium proportioned to his size, and he 

 soon becomes quite affable, allowing himself to be taken out 

 to exhibit the beautiful marbling of his underside to friends. 

 For this purpose I have held him gently with my finger and 



