THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 299 



colours are beautiful. The back is bright azure, with 

 a golden tint ; the belly and sides silvery, with rain- 

 bow reflections, like mother-of-pearl, and the same 

 notched fins near the tail are bright yellow. In 

 slight winds, when the motion of a ship is slow, 

 these fishes are usually to be seen around her; if 

 she be becalmed, and consequently motionless, they 

 remain at some little distance, when the most tempt- 

 ing bait is ineffectual ; but if she be sailing rapidly 

 before a brisk breeze they pertinaciously keep her 

 company, keeping close alongside, and seizing the 

 hook with avidity. The Albacore, as already hinted, 

 is one of the hunters of the little Flying-fish. It is 

 said to be highly interesting to watch one of these 

 fishes keenly engaged in pursuit of its volatile prey : 

 to mark the precision with which it keeps exactly 

 beneath during the aerial leaps of the victim, keeping 

 it steadily in sight, prepared to snap it up, on the 

 instant of its submersion. The Flying-fish, however, 

 by its exceeding agility, darting again into the air in 

 a moment, sometimes contrives to escape the fearful 

 jaws of its adversary. 



The Albacore, in its turn, has occasion to exercise 

 cunning and contrivance, to evade the attacks of a 

 still mightier foe. Mr. F. D. Bennett mentions that, 

 on one occasion, "The Albacore around the ship 

 afforded us an extraordinary spectacle ; they were 

 collected close to the keel of the vessel, in one dense 

 mass, of extraordinary^ depth and breadth, and swam 

 with an appearance of trepidation and watchfulness. 

 The cause of this unusual commotion was visible in 

 a sword-fish lurking astern, awaiting a favourable 



