138 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



The rock-cod possesses the commendable habit 

 of biting boldly and quickly, so that if the bait 

 remains on the hook, and is not allowed to 

 touch the bottom, where scores of small fry and 

 crabs are ready to pounce upon it, a ship may 

 always be sure of getting a boatload from almost 

 any rock or islet on the Peruvian, Bolivian, or 

 Chilian shores ; while the outlying groups of 

 islands, such as the Galapagos, the Cocos, be- 

 longing to Costa Rica (the scene of Earl Fitz- 

 william's recent sensational abortive search for 

 treasure in his yacht, the Veronique], and Juan 

 Fernandez, swarm with rock-cod. But, as a fish- 

 ing ground, none surpass the Peruvian Chinchas. 



As I pointed out in " Birds I Have Known " 

 (chapter vii.), the guano deposits formerly exist- 

 ing on the Chinchas were due to the number 

 of seals and the innumerable birds that were 

 attracted thither by the abounding fish around. 1 



Four, out of a great variety of species, came 

 specially under my notice. In chief, a re- 

 markably handsome, silver-coloured specimen of 

 cavallo, called by the local fishermen pescd 

 bianco (white fish), four or five feet long. These 



1 Pisco, an adjacent town on the mainland, probably 

 derives its name from the Spanish pescado^ or pesca, the 

 Andalusian equivalent for fish. 



