FISHES. 23 



blance to all the tools used by blacksmiths. Its flesh is 

 palatable, but it is now rarely found. 



The Dorado (coryphgena hippurus). The head is 

 higher than the rump, and the forehead so perpendicular 

 that the head resembles that of a child. It is four feet 

 long, bluish-gray above, green on the sides ; bright yel- 

 low below, but shines all over with a golden luster. This 

 beautiful fish is found in all the oceans and the Mediter- 

 ranean Sea, mostly the former ; the fishermen call it the 

 Gold Fish. It is extremely voracious, swallowing 

 everything that comes in its way, even nails. It follows 

 the flying-fish -with such haste as to overtake it as it 

 springs into the air. The flesh is esteemed a dainty. 



The Rapier Fish (trichiurus lepturus) is in form like 

 a small sword ; smooth, and wanting the abdominal and 

 caudal fins ; the under jaw is longer than the upper ; it 

 is over three feet long, and shines like silver ; the tongue 

 is long and triangular, like that of a bird. It inhabits 

 the Atlantic Ocean, is a good swimmer and rapacious 

 robber, often darting so suddenly out of the water when 

 pursuing its prey, that it falls upon the deck of ships ; 

 its flesh is good. 



The Kiiiy of the Herrings (regalacus g'esne), some- 

 times called Ribbon Fish, is smooth, elongated, and 

 flattened on the sides, thus obtaining the name. It meas- 

 ures ten feet in length ; is of a silvery white, lustrous, 

 and adorned with black spots, and, always swimming in 

 advance, of a shoal of herrings, has been termed the 

 king. 



The Surycoii (acanthurus chirurgus) is small; the 

 skin leather-like, with a movable spine, sharp as a lancet, 

 on the cheeks and each side of the tail. These spines 

 are of the shape of a surgeon's lancet, and inflict severe 



