212 THE ANGLEE-NATUEALIST. 



snout with such strength and precision as rarely fail 

 to bring down its object — often from a distance of 5 or 

 6 feet. This illustrates, by the way, the acute nature of 

 the sight of fish. 



Whilst alluding incidentally to these ' hunting ' species, 

 as they may be termed, I should not omit to mention the 

 Remora or Sucking-fish, also called Echeneis, from two 

 Greek words, signifying that the fish holds or stays ships 

 in their course — a fabulous power attributed to it by an- 

 cient authors. The Remora is furnished with an appa- 



THE REMOBA. 



ratus on the back of the head and shoulders which enables 

 it to adhere with great force to other fish, or to the bottoms 

 of vessels ; and this peculiarity is, or was formerly, made 

 use of by the West Indians, who let it go with a cord 

 fastened to the tail, when the Remora attached itself to 

 other fish, or to turtles, and both were drawn out together. 

 By this means a weight of several hundred pounds has 

 been sometimes raised from the bottom. Columbus men- 

 tions the Remora, and says that it will allow itself to be 

 cut to pieces rather than relinquish its hold. 



The Pike and many other predaceous species exhibit a 

 similar reluctance to quit their grasp of a prey once seized ; 



