THE BOOK ABOUT THE SEA GARDENS 



ably indicates sorrow or discomfort, for some 

 reason, or even anger, as the mauve gives way 

 to this hue almost immediately the fish is hooked, 

 and becomes more pronounced as it dies ; the eyes 

 then become deep black surrounded by crimson. 

 The squirrel is armed with two knifelike spines 

 on his gill cases which he distends to protect him- 

 self ; they give a clean cut that is likely to be quite 

 painful for an hour or two, but it has no serious 

 aftereffects. He is one of the fish that live in 

 holes, and the same specimen may be seen in the 

 same place for a long time if left undisturbed. 

 A big squirrel, however, is not likely so to remain 

 in his home for very long after being located, as 

 they bite upon any kind of bait except nuts, and 

 are themselves excellent eating. 



The grouper may also be seen in shallow water, 

 though the shallower the shoal is the smaller he 

 is apt to be. When small, groupers are known 

 as hamlets. They require a large fish bait and a 

 large fishhook, though they will bite upon conch or 

 lobster if a sufficiently large hunk is delicately rec- 

 ommended to their notice. The Nassau grouper, 

 in contradistinction to the red grouper, is one of 

 the most interesting fishes in these seas. It is 

 common throughout the West Indies, and is much 

 respected for its table qualities. The grouper 

 has at least seven distinct changes of colour 

 raiment, and one is not more common than the 



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