HIGHER LIFE IN WATERS. 97 



8. "That is no frolic, but very sober earnest for the 

 sand-eels,'' said Peter. ''Now," he continued, ''I will 

 show you a sight which I have only chanced to see two 

 or three times in my life, and you are therefore very lucky 

 to have the opportunity of seeing it at all. There is a 

 great shoal of sand-eels yonder, and the porpoises are 

 driving them into a mass ; for you see the sand-eel is only 

 a very small morsel for a porpoise, and to pick them up 

 one by one would not suit Mr. Porpoise, who would get 

 hungry again by the time he had done feeding on them 

 singly ; so they drive the eels into a thick crowd, in order 

 that when they make a dash at them they may get a dozen 

 or two at a mouthful. But as we want some for bait, we 

 will join in the hunt." 



9. They edged down to the spot until they were within 

 the circle. The porpoises, following one another pretty 

 closely, were swimming around, now rising to the surface, 

 now diving below, and gradually contracting the circle. 

 The terrified sand-eels were driven closer and closer, and 

 in their fear came to the surface all about the boat, and, 

 just as two or three porpoises made a dash into the crowd, 

 snapping right and left, the fishermen plunged their nets 

 into the water, and brought them up quite full of these 

 little fish. The shoal was soon dispersed, but the skill with 

 which the skiill had been conducted looked very much like 

 reasoning. Franck Frmd ^ 



FISHES ARMED WITH LIGHTNING. 



1. Among other powers, offensive and defensive, com- 

 manded by fish and men alike, is the very remarkable one 

 of electricity. Several species of fish are literally armed 

 with lightning, which they can discharge at enemies or 

 prey with fatal effect. These animated electric batteries 



