HUNTING— FISHING— WARS AND EXPEDITIONS. 23 



least some object which recalls the form of that food, 

 as, for example, an artificial fly to obtain possession 

 of certain fishes. 



It is curious to find that fish themselves utilise this 

 system ; it is the method adopted by the Angler 

 and the Uranoscopus?- The Uranoscopus scaber lives 

 in the Mediterranean. At the end of his lower jaw 

 there is developed a mobile and supple filament which 

 he is able to use with the greatest dexterity. Con- 

 cealed in the mud, without moving and only allowing 

 the end of his head to emerge, he agitates and vibrates 

 his filament. The little fishes who prowl in the 

 neighbourhood, delighted with the sight of this 

 apparent worm, regarding it as a destined prey, throw 

 themselves on to it, but before they are able to bite 

 and recognise their error they have disappeared in 

 the mouth of the proprietor of the bait. 



The Angler (Lophius piscatorius) has not usurped 

 his rather paradoxical name. He retires to the midst 

 of the sea-weed and alga;. On his body and all 

 round his head he bears fringed appendages which, 

 by their resemblance to the leaves of marine plants, 

 aid the animal to conceal himself The colour of 

 his body also does not contrast with neighbouring 

 objects. From his head arise three movable filaments 

 formed by three spines detached from the upper fin. 

 He makes use of the anterior one, which is. the longest 

 and most supple. Working in the same way as the 

 Uranoscopus, the Angler agitates his three filaments, 

 giving them as much as possible the appearance of 

 worms, and thus attracting the little fish on which he 

 feeds. 



In these two examples we see a special organ 



1 Lacepede, Histoire des Poissons, 1798-1803. 



