84 



AUDUBON 



(say eight hours after death), and resembled very much 

 those of a hog. The paunch contained several cuttle-fish 

 partly decayed. The flesh was removed from the skeleton 

 and left the central bone supported on its sides by two 

 horizontal, and one perpendicular bone, giving it the ap- 

 pearance of a four-edged cutting instrument; the lower 

 jaw, or as I would prefer writing it, mandible, exceeds the 

 upper about three-fourths of an inch. Both were furnished 

 with single rows of divided conical teeth, about one-half 

 an inch in length, so parted as to admit those of the upper 

 jaw between each of those of the lower. The fish might 

 weigh about two hundred pounds. The eyes were small 

 in proportion to the size of the animal, and having a breath- 

 ing aperture above, of course it had no gills. Porpoises 

 move in large companies, and generally during spring and 

 early summer go in pairs. I have seen a parcel of them 

 leap perpendicularly about twenty feet, and fall with a 

 heavy dash in the sea. Our captain told us that there 

 were instances when small boats had been sunk by one of 

 these heavy fish falling into them. Whilst I am engaged 

 with the finny tribe (of which, however, I know little or 

 nothing), I may as well tell you that one morning when 

 moving gently, two miles per hour, the captain called me 

 to show me some pretty little fishes just caught from the 

 cabin window. These measured about three inches, were 

 broad, and moved very quickly through the water. We 

 had pin-hooks, and with these, in about two hours, 

 three hundred and seventy were caught ; they were sweet 

 and good as food. They are known ordinarily as Rudder- 

 fish, and always keep on the lee side of the rudder, as it 

 affords them a strong eddy to support them, and enable 

 them to follow the vessel in that situation ; when calm they 

 disperse about the bow and sides, and then will not bite. 

 The least breeze brings them all astern again in a compact 

 body, when they seize the baited hook the moment it 

 reaches the water. 



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