36 THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



over on the earth. The conqueror rapidly thrusts 

 his beak into his skull, throws his victim into the 

 air, and swallows him.'- 



Hunting zvith projectiles. — It has often been re- 

 peated that Man is the only creature sufficiently 

 intelligent to utilise as weapons exterior objects like 

 a stone or a stick ; in a much greater degree, there- 

 fore, it was said, was he the only creature capable of 

 striking from afar with a projectile. Nevertheless 

 creatures so inferior as fish exhibit extreme skill in 

 the art of reaching their prey at a distance. Several 

 act in this way. There is first the Toxotes jaculator, 

 who lives in the rivers of India. His principal food 

 is formed by the insects who wander over the leaves 

 of aquatic plants. To wait until they fell into the 

 water would naturally result in but meagre fare. To 

 leap at them with one bound is difficult, not to 

 mention that the noise would cause them to flee. 

 The Toxotes knows a better trick than that. He 

 draws in some drops of water, and, contracting his 

 mouth, projects them with so much force and cer- 

 tainty that they rarely fail to reach the chosen aim, 

 and to bring into the water all the insects he desires.^ 

 (Fig. 5.) Other animals also squirt various liquids, 

 sometimes in attack, but more especially in defence. 

 The Cephalopods, for example, emit their ink, which 

 darkens the water and allows them to flee. Certain 

 insects exude bitter or foetid liquids ; but in all 

 these cases, and in others that are similar, the 



• The combat was minutely described by Le Vaillant (Hist. Nat. des 

 Oiseaux d'Af7ique, Paris, 1798, t. i. p. 177), whose account has been 

 confirmed by many subsequent observers. 



^ Cuvier et Valenciennes, Hist, Nat. des Poissons, Paris, iSjr, t. vii. 

 p. 231. 



