THE PILOT FISH. 185 



darted rapidly forwards or sideways, as if looking for some- 

 thing, and constantly went back again to the shark. When 

 we threw overboard a piece of bacon fastened on a great 

 hook, the shark was about twenty paces from the ship. With 

 the quickness of lightning the pilot came up, smelt at the 

 dainty morsel, and instantly swam back again to the shark, 

 swimming many times around his snout and splashing, as if 

 to give him exact information as to the bacon. The shark 

 now began to put himself in motion, the pilot showing him 

 the way, and in a moment he was fast to the hook." 



Dr. Bennett, a Naturalist, says: " I have observed that if 

 several sharks swim together, the pilot-fishes are generally 

 absent; whereas, on a solitary shark being seen, it is equally 

 rare to find it unaccompanied by one or more of these reputed 

 guides. The only method by which I could procure this 

 fish was, that when capturing a shark, I was aware that 

 these faithful little fishes would not forsake him until he was 

 taken aboard : therefore, by keeping the shark, when hooked, 

 in the water until he was exhausted, or, as the sailors term 

 it, " drowned," the pilot-fish kept close to the surface of the 

 water over the shark, and. by the aid of a dipping-net, fixed 

 to the end of a long stick, I was enabled to secure it with 

 great facility." 



The pilot-fish, like the mackerel in shape, has five con- 

 spicuous transverse bands round the body, and the general 

 color is a silvery grayish-blue. It is common in the Medi- 

 terranean and abounds in the warmer parts of the ocean. 



