220 PEOSE HAXIET7TICS. 



bather directly in his course^ he runs him remorselessly 

 tlirough the hody, as happened only some twenty years 

 ago to a man who was thus transfixed whilst swimming 

 near the mouth of the Severn. So boundless is the 

 sword-fish's rage and fury against whales in particular, 

 that many observers imagine his sallies against rocks 

 and timber to originate in an error of judgment, that all 

 these lunges are intended to punish leviathan, and are 

 only misdirected in consequence of the imperfect vision 

 which prevents this scomber, like many of his family, 

 from accurately distinguishing forms. Whenever a sup- 

 posed whale is descried, our savage sabreur rushes for- 

 ward to intercept his progress, and suddenly flashing be- 

 fore his victim, either alone, or in conjunction with some 

 other unfriendly fish, instantly proceeds to the attack. 

 Eelations of such sea-fights, attested by credible eye- 

 witnesses, are not uncommon ; we content ourselves with 

 the citation of one of unimpeachable accuracy. Cap- 

 tain Crow, cited by Mr. Yarrell, relates that in a voy- 

 age to Memel, on a calm night, just off the Hebrides, 

 all hands were called up to witness a strange combat be- 

 tween some thrashers (carcharias vulpes) and a sword- 

 fish leagued together against a whale; as soon as the 

 back of the ill-starred monster was seen rising a little 

 above the water, the thrashers sprang several yards into 

 the air, and struck him with their descending tails ; the 

 reiterated percussions of which sounded, we are told, 

 like a distant volley of musketry. The sword-fish 

 meanwhile attacked the whale from below, getting close 

 under his beUy, and with such energy and effect that 

 there could be little doubt of the issue of a fray, which 

 the necessity of prosecuting their voyage prevented the 

 crew from watching to its close. The sword-fish is not 

 less remarkable for strength than pugnacity, the depot 

 of its great physical powers being, as in most scombers, 

 in the tail. 



