THE FISHERIES OF THE FAR EAST 



people are hereditary fishermen who have partially intro- 

 duced European methods of working, and have made 

 themselves the centre of the fishing-trade for many miles 

 round. 



In the China Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean is a 

 remarkable little fish known as the " archer," and when- 

 ever it makes its appearance in the net it is jealously set 

 aside in a pot of water by some member of the crew. In 

 their idle moments the men will even angle for it when 

 they are sufficiently far from land. It is about seven 

 inches long and has a wide, ugly mouth, the lower jaw of 

 which is considerably longer than the upper ; it feeds on 

 flies and insects and has an almost infallible means of 

 catching them. Swimming near the surface it watches for 

 the approach of its prey and, the moment this comes in 

 sight, squirts a jet of water straight at it ; this manoeuvre 

 brings the prize down to the surface, and all the archer 

 has to do is to swallow it. When such a fish is caught, it 

 is taken home and kept in a jar as a household play- 

 thing, its owner amusing himself by suspending a fly 

 on a string over the jar, for the entertainment of its 

 occupant. 



In the rivers of Siam and Annam is a somewhat smaller 

 creature, though none the less remarkable ; the " fighting- 

 fish,*" which is as carefully angled for and treasured as the 

 archer. When taken, it is preserved in a bowl and kept 

 for fighting. Two of them, let loose in a shallow tank, 

 will afford as much amusement as fighting-cocks gave to 

 our grandfathers ; and, like them, the bystanders bet 

 heavily on the issue of the struggle. In Siam such fights 



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