340 Big Game Fishes 



was occasionally caught in the manner described 

 with a very small but stout hook on the face or 

 at the base of a perpendicular coral cliff. The 

 channels here were very deep and precipitous, 

 and were often lined with branch coral which 

 formed an almost perpendicular wall, a perfect 

 cheveaux de frise, the interstices of which formed 

 favorite lurking-places for the parrot-fishes of 

 large size. This fish, though rarely caught with 

 a line, was, when three feet in length and rang- 

 ing from eighteen to twenty pounds in weight, a 

 powerful, active fish. Large individuals were 

 frequently taken at night on the edge of the 

 lagoon, showing that, like many others, it came 

 into the shallows to feed. It was held in no 

 esteem by the fishermen, being considered poison- 

 ous; its only economic value lay in the "bills," 

 which were a vivid blue when fresh, green later, 

 and which were sold to visitors as curiosities. 

 The remarkable feature about these fishes are 

 the singular "bills" or teeth, which in the dif- 

 ferent species coalesce, more or less, forming a 

 sharp, solid ridge instead of several teeth. This 

 biting armament partakes of the color of the fish. 

 In the large parrot-fish described they were pink- 

 ish and white ; in another genus, green. The 



