238 'OF SPINOUS FISHES IN GENERAL. 



Of the fplnous kind, the DORADO is moft voracious ; chiefly found 

 in the tropical clitnates ; the moft aftive and nnoft beautiful of its tribe. 

 The back enannelled with fpots, blueifh-green and filver j tail and fins 

 gold colour, of extreme brilliancy : the eyes are on each fide the head, 

 large and beautiful, furrounded with circles of fhi ling gold. Thefe 

 filh are always in motion, and play round fhips in full fail, with eafe and 

 fecurity. Ever purfuing or purfued, they are continually in warfare ; 

 defending themfelves againft the fhark, or darting after fmaller fiflies. 

 The FLYING-FISH abounds in thefe feas i and being fmall, feldom 

 larger than a herring, is chiefly fought by the dorado, which being fix 

 feet long, not thicker than a falmon, and furnifiied with a full comple- 

 ment of fins, divides the water with amazing rapidity. The flying-fifli 

 has two pair of fins longer than the body, and moved by a ftronger fee 

 of mufcles than any other. The effort.s to fcize on one fide, and the 

 arts of efcaping on the other, are perfectly amufing. The dorado is fccn 

 in full chace, darting after its prey, which will not leave the water, while 

 it has the advantage of fwimming, in the beginning i but, tired at laft, 

 and its long fins growing ufelefs in the water, they are now exerted in 

 flight, in a different manner and diredlion : by this means he rifes from 

 the water, flutters over its furface two or three hundred yards, till en- 

 feebled by this exercife ; but they have now acquired a power of frefh 

 efforts in the water, and of fwimming with fome velocity : ftill the adlive 

 enemy keeps it in view, and drives it again from the deep, till it drops 

 at laft into the mouth of its fierce purfuer. Should it efcape from its 

 enemies of the deep, yet the tropic bird and the albatrofs are ever upon 

 C.he wing to feize it, and often whole fnoals of them fail on fhip- board. 



It would feem that there is fomething more favourable to the fecun- 

 dity of fifhes in the ocean than in frelh water. In frefli water alfo fifhes 

 feem to abate much of their courage and rapacity ; purfue each other 

 with lefs violence, and feem to be lefs powerfully aduaced. The cod on 

 the banks of Newfoundland, the inftant the hook, which is only baited 

 with the guts of the animal laft taken, is dropped into the water, darts 

 to it at once, and the fiftiermen have 10 pull up as faft as they throw 

 down : whereas thofe who fifli in frefli waters muft wait whole hours in 

 fiuitlefs expeftation ; and the patience of an angler is proverbial. 



The PIKE is the moft aftive and voracious of frefh water fiflies, and 

 will attack every fifli lefs than itfelf j fometimes is choaked, by attempt- 

 ing to fwallow fuch as are too large : fifli of all kinds, even irs own, it in- 



difcriminat<.ly 



