FISHES. 99 



the fish immediately perceives it, and continues to shoot 

 at it with such admirable skill as very rarely to miss the 

 mark."* 



The unicorn acanthurus (the Monoceros minor of Wil- 

 loughby) is said to occur both in the Inuian and Arabian 

 seas. It was in the latter locality that, according to Forskal, 

 a fisherman obsen-ed an eagle descend among a shoal of 

 this species, and which, happening to transfix one with 

 each foot, was instantly killed and nearly torn asunder 

 by their sudden and violent separation in opposite directions. 



The genus Spams produces many interesting species 

 along the shores of Hindostan. The'climbing-sparus (Sp. 

 scandens) is not unworthy of special record. It measures 

 about a span in length. The skin is covered bv a blackish 

 mucus, and the dorsal-fin is occasionally sunk' in a longi- 

 tudinal fossule. The most remarkable peculiarity of this 

 fish is the power of climbing, from which it derives its 

 specific name. It performs this action by means of the 

 spiny processes of the gill-covers, and moves at pleasure 

 up the trunks of trees which grow by the water-side. It 

 was observed by Lieutenant DaldorlT, at Tranquebar, as- 

 cending by a fissure in the stem of the palm called Borassus 

 flahdlifer, and was also found to be so tenacious of life as 

 to move about upon the dry sand for some hours after it 

 was captured on the tree. The natives regard the spines 

 of the giU-covers as poisonous. 



The Alacananda, or that branch of the Ganges which 

 has its source among the inferior hills on the southern side 

 of the snowy mountains, produces, according to Messrs. 

 Raper and Webb, a beautiful fish called soher, which attains 

 to the length of six or seven feet. The scales on the back 

 and sides are of an exquisite green, encircled by a bright 

 golden border ; the belly is white, slightly tinged with gold ; 

 the tail and fins are of a dark bronze ; and its flavour is 

 equal to its extewial beauty. + 



A fish called n-rahl in India inhabits the lakes, and is 

 so highly esteemed as a nutritious and healthy food as to 



* .fiejera! Zoolotr>'. vol iv. p. 338. See also Naturalist's Miscellany, 

 u. pi. 6/, and the Phil. Trans, for 1765. 



t Narrative of a Survey for the purpose of DiscoTering the Sources 

 of the Ganges. 



