THE BOOK ABOUT THE SEA GARDENS 



through the water like an arrow and catch the 

 unwary one in its long .birdlike bill, which is 

 armed with sharp teeth like the jaws of the an- 

 cient ichthyosaurus. The other is of a grey silver 

 colour and is smutched with marks of brown a 

 baby barracuda on the same errand as his cousin, 

 the houndfish. Both these fierce little fishes may 

 grow into veritable monsters if the little nigger 

 boys who catch them with a thread and a bent 

 pin do not delude their infant minds to-day. The 

 houndfish is often found longer than a yard and 

 a half, but a fish of that length, though it only 

 weighs six or seven pounds on the scales, has a 

 mouthful of sharp green nails which can tear a 

 man's arm open as easily as a comb goes through 

 butter. When large, the houndfish is very dark 

 blue above with amazing sides of silver. About 

 the head especially the blue is glorious and in- 

 tense, and the green teeth accentuate its beauty. 

 When hooked, it does not give much account of 

 itself for its size, but remembering how light a 

 fish it is owing to its peculiar arrowlike build, 

 perhaps it should not be despised as much as it 

 is. Often it will leap high out of the water, shak- 

 ing its head and twisting every way to be rid of 

 the ugly corner of the dinner. On trout tackle 

 it is quite a triumph to catch a big one, and they 

 are excellent eating, though a few people are 

 prejudiced against them on account of the green, 



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