THE CORYPHENE. 



279 



the fish is triumphantly hauled on board by means of the rope affixed to the butt-end 

 of the shaft. 



Such a chase as has just been described, seems to be of comparatively rare occur- 

 rence, and any one who has witnessed it may consider himself peculiarly fortunate. 



Words can hardly express the extreme beauty of the Coryphenes, as they play easily 

 around the ship, their sides glittering in the sunbeams as if made of burnished gold 

 and silver, and every change of attitude producing some new combination of color. 

 They have a curious habit of attaching themselves for a time to a passing ship, and 



EYED PTERACLlS.-PferacWs ocellatus. 



are able, from their exceeding swiftness, to gambol around the vessel as if she were at 

 anchor, no matter how swift her progress may be. Steam, however, is fatal to such 

 observations, as the screw or paddles are so noisy that few fish venture within their 

 sweep, and the water is so churned into whirling circles of froth and foam that even 

 the glistening body of the Coryphene would be invisible below the disturbed surface. 



THE very remarkable fish which is shown in the accompanying illustration, is allied 

 rather closely to the preceding species, in spite of the great difference in form, and by 

 some writers was placed in the same genus as that fish. 



