THE BOOK ABOUT THE SEA GARDENS 



as grey mullet, and many as hard to hold as an 

 eel or a soapfish ! 



Like ourselves, fish are divided into three prin- 

 cipal categories the mountain crag dwellers, the 

 hunting tribes of the slopes and plains, and the 

 denizens of the valleys in the deep sea. Are these 

 perhaps large, opulent, indolent office dwellers, 

 those who perhaps "have capital involved," but do 

 nothing energetic themselves beyond open their 

 mouths when the food comes? Who knows but 

 the habits of divers fish are in some way inter- 

 related as one trade depends on another among 

 Us. We do not know; with all our wisdom we 

 are still at the stage of determining only what is, 

 what it does, and how. Let us remember that 

 we are at the beginning, that none can ask the 

 "why" of the animal kingdom as yet, though 

 there is no reason to suppose that some day we 

 may not find within it parallels to our own inter- 

 ests and pursuits. 



It is not my purpose to attempt any serious 

 classification of the fishes mentioned in this book. 

 I am not concerned even with exact descriptions, 

 but only an attempt at general identification by 

 shapes and colours, so that the visitor may know 

 the local names of fishes in Nassau, which he may 

 be sure will vary considerably if he leaves the 

 immediate vicinity, and be able to recognise them 

 in the Sea Gardens or the Fish Market. 



36 



