﻿36 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  much 
  as 
  a 
  dash 
  of 
  color 
  in 
  the 
  sea 
  — 
  a 
  

   yellow-blue-whitish 
  streak 
  that 
  is 
  almost 
  

   lost 
  in 
  the 
  green 
  water 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  VIII) 
  . 
  

   Of 
  all 
  deep-water 
  fishes, 
  the 
  dolphin 
  

   possesses 
  the 
  greatest 
  power 
  to 
  change 
  its 
  

   color. 
  A 
  dying 
  dolphin 
  affords 
  a 
  most 
  

   beautiful 
  and 
  spectacular 
  sight, 
  when, 
  

   with 
  all 
  the 
  iridescence 
  of 
  an 
  opal, 
  it 
  

   changes 
  hue 
  so 
  rapidly 
  that 
  the 
  brain 
  

   cannot 
  grasp 
  the 
  beauty 
  of 
  one 
  color 
  be- 
  

   fore 
  another 
  comes 
  into 
  view. 
  In 
  life 
  its 
  

   general 
  color 
  is 
  a 
  blue 
  or 
  emerald 
  green 
  

   above, 
  with 
  brighter 
  blue 
  dots 
  showing 
  on 
  

   the 
  base; 
  the 
  under 
  parts 
  are 
  silvery 
  and 
  

   the 
  caudal 
  and 
  pectoral 
  fins 
  are 
  a 
  clear 
  

   yellow. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  excellent 
  food-fish, 
  but, 
  

   being 
  not 
  common 
  in 
  quantity, 
  has 
  little 
  

   commercial 
  value. 
  It 
  is 
  caught 
  usually 
  

   only 
  by 
  chance, 
  when 
  one 
  is 
  fishing 
  for 
  

   other 
  game 
  fishes 
  which 
  inhabit 
  the 
  re- 
  

   gions 
  where 
  the 
  dolphin 
  lives. 
  

  

  THE 
  BONEEISH, 
  A 
  STEEL 
  SPRING 
  OE 
  THE 
  

   DEEP 
  

  

  The 
  bonefish 
  represents 
  a 
  single 
  species, 
  

   inhabiting 
  all 
  warm 
  and 
  tropical 
  seas. 
  It 
  

   is 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  among 
  the 
  most 
  inde- 
  

   fatigable 
  fighters 
  of 
  fishdom, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  

   source 
  of 
  much 
  sport 
  to 
  the 
  angler, 
  who 
  

   will 
  often 
  travel 
  hundreds 
  of 
  miles 
  for 
  

   an 
  opportunity 
  to 
  match 
  his 
  skill 
  and 
  wits 
  

   with 
  this 
  fish. 
  Its 
  name 
  is, 
  like 
  most 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  names 
  of 
  fishes, 
  derived 
  from 
  its 
  

   most 
  striking 
  feature, 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  an 
  in- 
  

   ternal 
  one. 
  Its 
  bony 
  structure 
  is 
  similar 
  

   to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  herring. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  localities 
  where 
  this 
  fish 
  abounds 
  

   the 
  natives 
  have 
  a 
  way 
  of 
  stretching 
  it 
  

   before 
  cooking, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  bones 
  may 
  be 
  

   released 
  from 
  the 
  flesh. 
  When 
  cooked 
  

   properly, 
  after 
  this 
  operation, 
  it 
  provides 
  

   a 
  fine 
  dish 
  and 
  the 
  bones 
  may 
  be 
  easily 
  

   drawn 
  out. 
  

  

  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  bonefish 
  is 
  a 
  beautiful 
  

   glistening 
  silver 
  and 
  the 
  scales 
  are 
  much 
  

   desired 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  In- 
  

   dies. 
  In 
  fish-scale 
  work 
  for 
  decorating 
  

   ladies' 
  costumes 
  the 
  scales 
  of 
  this 
  fish 
  are 
  

   used. 
  The 
  writer 
  has 
  seen 
  an 
  evening 
  

   gown 
  made 
  wholly 
  of 
  bonefish 
  scales 
  

   which 
  was 
  indeed 
  a 
  thing 
  of 
  beauty. 
  The 
  

   scales 
  were 
  bored 
  and 
  laid 
  on 
  a 
  fabric 
  

   base 
  like 
  shingles 
  on 
  a 
  roof. 
  The 
  result- 
  

   ant 
  effect 
  was 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  body 
  

   of 
  the 
  fish 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  IX). 
  

  

  Of 
  all 
  silvery-colored 
  fishes, 
  probably 
  

   none 
  equals 
  the 
  moonfish 
  in 
  beauty. 
  

  

  These 
  sluggish 
  little 
  fishes 
  frequent 
  

   shady 
  places 
  and 
  sandy 
  shores, 
  where 
  they 
  

   are 
  taken 
  in 
  seines 
  in 
  large 
  quantities. 
  To 
  

   the 
  quiet 
  observer 
  of 
  their 
  habits, 
  they 
  

   appear 
  to 
  be 
  duly 
  appreciative 
  of 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  they 
  are 
  admired, 
  for 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  

   forever 
  cleaning 
  and 
  preening 
  themselves 
  

   in 
  the 
  sands 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  V). 
  

  

  The 
  peculiar, 
  moon-like 
  contour 
  of 
  the 
  

   bodies 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  is 
  mainly 
  responsible 
  

   for 
  their 
  name. 
  They 
  are 
  literally 
  the 
  

   "high-brows" 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  tribe, 
  their 
  high 
  

   foreheads 
  giving 
  them 
  what 
  passes 
  for 
  

   the 
  appearance 
  of 
  intellectuality. 
  When 
  

   seen 
  at 
  close 
  range, 
  the 
  iridescence 
  of 
  

   their 
  silvery 
  bodies 
  is 
  more 
  beautiful 
  

   than 
  mother-of-pearl, 
  which 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  

   the 
  fish 
  so 
  closely 
  resemble. 
  They 
  glisten 
  

   in 
  the 
  sunlight 
  like 
  the 
  sun 
  flash 
  from 
  a 
  

   mirror. 
  As 
  a 
  food-fish 
  they 
  are 
  equally 
  

   as 
  good 
  as 
  the 
  pompano, 
  which 
  is 
  high 
  

   praise 
  indeed. 
  

  

  Traits 
  which 
  mark 
  land 
  animals, 
  with 
  

   which 
  man 
  is 
  more 
  familiar 
  than 
  he 
  is 
  

   with 
  the 
  sea-dwellers, 
  can 
  be 
  traced 
  in 
  the 
  

   turbulent 
  life 
  under 
  water. 
  Killer-whales 
  

   travel 
  in 
  packs 
  like 
  wolves 
  and 
  stalk 
  their 
  

   prey 
  in 
  much 
  the 
  same 
  way. 
  Other 
  fishes, 
  

   because 
  of 
  their 
  appearance, 
  have 
  been 
  

   given 
  names 
  to 
  indicate 
  a 
  resemblance 
  to 
  

   land 
  forms. 
  There 
  is 
  the 
  dogfish, 
  the 
  sea 
  

   catfish, 
  and 
  the 
  hogfish 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  

   if 
  ever 
  a 
  fish 
  was 
  given 
  a 
  more 
  appropri- 
  

   ate 
  name 
  than 
  the 
  nickname 
  bestowed 
  on 
  

   the 
  barracuda. 
  

  

  THE 
  TIGER 
  OE 
  THE 
  SEA 
  

  

  The 
  barracuda 
  is 
  a 
  carnivorous 
  pirate 
  

   from 
  the 
  tropical 
  and 
  subtropical 
  regions 
  

   and 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  as 
  reaching 
  a 
  

   length 
  of 
  eight 
  feet. 
  It 
  is 
  amazingly 
  

   swift 
  in 
  action, 
  and 
  strikes 
  its 
  prey 
  with- 
  

   out 
  hesitation, 
  on 
  sight, 
  darting 
  with 
  

   lightning 
  rapidity 
  at 
  any 
  moving 
  thing 
  in 
  

   the 
  sea, 
  big 
  or 
  small, 
  fast 
  or 
  slow. 
  While 
  

   cruising, 
  its 
  movements 
  are 
  slow 
  and 
  

   sluggish, 
  and 
  its 
  habit 
  of 
  frequently 
  hid- 
  

   ing 
  under 
  some 
  floating 
  log 
  or 
  pinnacle 
  

   of 
  rock 
  reminds 
  one 
  of 
  a 
  U-boat 
  lurking 
  

   in 
  the 
  ocean 
  lanes, 
  but 
  ready 
  to 
  strike 
  

   down 
  the 
  passerby 
  ( 
  Color 
  Plate 
  I 
  ) 
  . 
  

  

  When 
  taken 
  with 
  rod 
  and 
  reel, 
  this 
  fish 
  

   proves 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  savage 
  fighter. 
  Its 
  teeth 
  

   are 
  most 
  sinister 
  in 
  appearance, 
  having 
  

   on 
  each 
  side 
  a 
  sharp, 
  cutting 
  edge, 
  which, 
  

   with 
  the 
  powerful 
  leverage 
  of 
  its 
  mighty 
  

   jaws, 
  make 
  it 
  a 
  formidable 
  foe. 
  It 
  will 
  

  

  