THE BOOK ABOUT THE SEA GARDENS 



eating a weakly or wounded condition, and it is 

 likely to disappear down the long tubular mouth as 

 if by powerful suction, probably the explanation 

 of its curious construction. 



The first fish to attack a bait are generally the 

 hardheads, a tiny yellow fish which I suspect 

 of being baby slippery dicks; then the smaller 

 slippery dicks and soapfish, the first looking grey 

 green in the water and the latter grey white with 

 a black stripe. The larger slippery dicks, some- 

 times called the pudding wife, are equally varied 

 in colour by a dark stripe between their yellow 

 heads and olive-green tails. When large they are 

 chiefly green, but all are amazingly striped and 

 spotted with exquisite colours, the most distinctive 



markings being a few scattered black spots about 

 the head. The tail is not spotted at all, but is 

 striped with purple and blue. The soapfish, which 

 seems white, is like a milk opal. Its amazing 



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