XIPHIAS. 



311 



is short and pointed ; the tail lunated, the color of 

 the body a sort of brown, running into a bluish 

 shade, but on the abdomen, the skin is white. As 



THE SWORD FISH. 



before remarked of some preceding fish, this is ev- 

 idently possessed of a highly irritable disposition, 

 and therefore appears to be constantly involved in 

 perilous and fearful difficulties ; it is voracious, 

 and yet without teeth ; and though it seems to 

 be the knight errant of the deep, by meddling 

 with the affairs of others, in which it has no 

 personal interest, it also appears, at other times, 

 to be at open war with whatever moves in the 

 same liquid element. 



Whales of prodigious magnitude, though truly 

 peaceably disposed, if by chance they get within 

 the sphere of its vision, are butchered without 

 mercy ; whenever the sword-fish fails of accom- 

 plishing the death of this great animal, it is often- 

 er because the sword is not long enough to pene- 



