MALAYAN FISHER, 



9S 



QAR-FISH, QAR-PIKE AND FLYINQ-FISH. 



Most of tlui members of thi^s faniilv, nf wlik-h abuut 2110 speci«j& 

 are kno^s'u, aw marine: some carnivorous, niid otlier& mainly 

 liurbivuroii?, fei'iliii)? on ^nvn iiljjae. Xotirly all tir« in tlie habit of 

 ninkiug great k*HjJs out of ilit- whUt, this U'lidi-iicy culminating; in 

 the Flyiiiff-tish (A\rur(/r aiui tluTo every im^^ag*? lictvvMU 

 the jintrtll pec 'MfHl fin of a tjiir-H li ami tlie swullow-iike mug& " or 

 the must de\eIol>eil Fljiiig-JisSi. 



They are ext*elleitt odiUh Jish ami the Todak {tie^on^ spp.) 

 wliic'h liaVL' gnini bones are juncrthelR^s very pfllatable Ami useful 

 food thh. There is n mort* or le,-** im-vaU^Jt itlea that li.^hfs witli 

 grijeii butk'si are puisonoiif! : thir* is ou« of the popular fallacies 

 which iHt faetfi or Hr^iimeiits will e^er overcoroe. 



The Puput or J^nlulong iIft>Mirhatnpfim b\j\>.) or Half- 

 beak <!aii be eai^ily idfJitilieil liy thv I'm t that the lower jaw iiiily is 

 prolonged, Botii jnwi; of thi^ Todak an* proloiigeil into a long 

 slender liciik. 



Tlic Todak though common if* a very &hy and wily M\. It 

 gives a boat a vntle liertli and though a raind swimming rtnd pr<- 

 dflcioiijs Ml it disdains ordinary liin>n aiul bnit*. The Malay lidier- 

 men. however, i-irc umveiit tliem Viy Rshin^r with jt kite from wliicla 

 danglcri a length of fine line teniiinatiufr in a noose. The liiiit is at- 

 tached to the umm'. (iivt-u a brtH'W siiltkncut to keep the kite Hying, 

 qnite ^ood sfjort is inbtained, perlmpsi a dozen fi?h or more in an 

 hour. The Todak mskfts a lierce dash at thu hmi, the no(JSe ti*^ht- 

 ens round thf upiwr jaw, luid The recurved teeth prevent the noose 

 from slipping. 



The Puput i(^ also a r^hy biter whi-n it seci its wouhMie cap- 

 tor at llie axhvr £muI of a rod or line, aiul tlie Malays coiisiequently 

 UPC :*]iort baited lines: flttaclipil to floats {F^hnUitnj pifffnf ] wliich 

 they send adrift and pick np when the movements of the ttoat **hew 

 that a ii:>li is Hrinly hi>oked. 



Flying-fii*he3* are very ^^ood eating bnt not often obtainetl. 1 

 have picked tliem up on tlie de<?k after a s<pmlly mghi at .sea. 



SAND-SMELTS. 



These pretty iittie fishes, tialled Rcnnyau or Paku in Malay, 

 are common all ahmg our coasts and alsD frer|nent estuaries and 

 tidal river.-. Sealc' writes: 



'* It in almost impO!i.*ihk' to In ml at any wharf or to go 

 ashore on any bpach without .-jecing thet^e little fi^h in eount* 

 Ubs nuiU'ber!?. They u.^-tiHliy grow to a length td from 10 to 

 1'^ centimeters. They have a gri'enii^h tint on the bark and & 

 bright silvery baud on. the sides. 



1 Mattery TesourceH of tbe Philippines, 



