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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST 



[Vol. LIII 



board. In all probability, the sucker will go straight for the object and 

 attach itself: it acts only as a guide, and tells the hunter the next move 

 of his prey. The aboriginal now plays the line out very guardedly, 



merged reaches a point on the line, previously marked, he knows that 

 he is within striking distance, and as his quarry comes to the surface, 



in no sense does the sucker-fish pull the prey into the hands of the 

 hunter: it only indicates the direction in which the harpoon, etc., can be 

 advantageously thrown. 



The account given by X. W. Thomas in his book 

 ''Natives of Australia" (1906) is taken ahnost verbatim 

 from the above and beyond this mere citation no notice 

 will be taken of it here. 



We now come to another account of the peculiar use of 

 Echeneis under discussion, and I am able to offer no less 

 an authority than the "Encyclopaedia Britannica," in the 

 eleventh edition of which, in Volume XXII (1911), in the 

 article on Queensland, Australia, Mr. T. A. Coghlan 

 writes: 



■In Torres Strait and the northern coast the hawksbill turtle ... is 

 said to be cai>tured in a peculiar manner, the sucking-fish or remora 

 (Echeneis naucrales) being utilized by the islanders for that purpose. 

 The remora is oan-ied alive in the bottom of the canoe, a long thin line 

 being attached to the fish's tail and another usually to the gills. On a 

 turtle being sighted and approaclie<l to within the length of the line, the 

 sucking-fish is thrown towards it. and inutiodiiitcly swims to and attaches 



which if of moderate size is easily pulled into tlie canoe. 



During the year 1898, Professor A. C. Iladdon was 

 leader of the Cambridge University Anthropological Expe- 

 dition to Torres Straits. On this expedition ho made an 

 extensive study of tlic use of tlio fisliermaii fisli. Professor 

 Haddoii'> .Inta eoniplet*^ tli;it he efleetualiy 



settled the matter ct' the im-etit-day actual ii^^ of the ti^li 

 for takiim- nth.-r ti^h. ati.l Aurr hi. rrp,.i't. are cfthe liio-h 

 .-t vahie. piittitm- a- they .hi the iiiipriinatur of truth on 

 h uhnh- matter. th.'> uill h,. rct'eri'e.l in in some detail. 



i'rol\-^ur Ila(hl(jii"> lir>t aeeoimt ha^-d on the data of 



