186 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
THE SWORD FISH. 
17. This is a large, powerful, and voracious ani- 
mal, growing to the length of upwards of twenty 
feet. It is black on the back, and white on the belly. 
The great peculiarity of this fish is its long, pointed, 
sword-like upper jaw, which is of a substance like 
coarse ivory. 
18. An inveterate hatred exists between this fish 
and the whale. Whenever a Sword Fish meets a 
whale, he instantly assails him. The whale has no 
means of defence but the tail, the tremendous blow 
of which the Sword Fish in general avoids, and then 
plunges his weapon into his adversary. 
19. The Sword Fish possesses a wonderful degree 
of strength. An English man-of-war was struck by 
one of them on her return from a cruise ; the sword 
passed through one inch of sheathing, three inches 
of plank, and four inches and a half in the timber : 
it was broken off by the shock. 
20. In the British museum there is also a plank 
of a vessel which a fish pierced with the whole length 
of his sword, though he lost his life by the effort. 
Describe the Sword Fish. What animal is he particularly hos- 
tile to 1 What is related to show his strength 1 
