THE ANGLER AND HUNTSMAN 63 



a desperate civil war is being waged in the glass. The 

 stronger pursue the weaker, and although they are not able 

 to swallow them entire, they nevertheless inflict terrible 

 wounds on them. Soon some of the fish may be seen to be 

 hindered in their movements, having had their tails bitten 

 off entirely or in part. The wound soon grows worse, and 

 the poor little animal finally ceases to live; but even in its 

 death agonies it is assailed by its cruel enemies. The fish 

 continue this war until only two are left, which retire each 

 to a different corner of the glass, like fistic champions in a 

 boxing arena, and here they sit and watch each other with 

 eyes full of hatred and envy; and if one of them is bold 

 enough to enter the domain of his antagonist the result is 

 a combat to the finish. 



Now, if this is the way the little sticklebacks act, what 

 can we expect from the greedy pike, which scientists call 

 the scourge of fresh water, or the dangerous shark, which 

 reaches the size of the large dolphins and is constantly 

 roaming the seven seas, devouring everything that comes 

 its way? Woe to the unfortunate sailor who falls over- 

 board in shark-infested waters. 



If we consider that nearly all fish are carnivorous and 

 live by robbing and murdering, we must confess that the 

 population of the sea must be infinitely larger than that of 

 the land, for in any other case fish would not find food 

 enough. 



"If such is the case," the close reader will ask, "why 

 is it that fish are still so plentiful?" It would doubtless 

 appear to many that if these barbarous methods are pur- 

 sued, water life must soon die out and become extinct. 

 "How can any race of animals exist when such a continu- 

 ous slaughter is transpiring?" "How is it that the larg- 

 er of these insatiable animals have not long since entirely 

 destroyed the smaller ones, finally to die themselves of star- 

 vation, leaving nothing but their skeletons in the waters 

 of the ocean which has by that time become a howling wild- 



