THE BOOK ABOUT THE SEA GARDENS 



appearance of it, together with its large eyes, 

 make it easily recognizable. These are not so 

 often seen around the shallower reefs, though 

 they visit from the deeper fishing grounds occa- 

 sionally. 



The same is true of the jack, a mackerel-like 

 fish, grey with a blue stripe and deeply furcated 

 tail, which swims in small shoals. The jack is 

 swift and a fierce fighter if hooked. It watches 



the shoals of small fish and occasionally makes 

 rapid dashes among them. It is best taken by 

 trolling behind a boat, and though fish bait or 

 even a piece of conch will occasionally tempt him 

 to risk his precious life, he is likely to be very 

 suspicious of a sad-looking fish attached to a 

 string anywhere in the vicinity of a boat shadow. 

 Sometimes for like reasons amber fish and alba- 

 cores will hang around a coral patch; but these, 

 like the dolphins and bonita, belong more to the 

 deeper waters. They are large fish, great fight- 



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