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through with very slight friction. Some are single and lan- 
ceolate and others are bifurcated, an inch long, they are scat- 
tered sparsely on the body but are thick on the pre-operculum 
and a few on the top of the operculum. The eyes are large 
with a spotted covering that can be drawn at will over the 
whole eye, and they lie in a thick horny kind of bowl, and are 
thus preserved on all sides in case of a violent shock to the 
head. The jaws are covered with fine teeth, the skin of the 
upper, where produced, is rough to the touch. 
“ I find the fiesh of this fish was known in early times as 
an article of food, and its fame is not undeserved. The flesh 
near the vertebra) (which are curiously thin and flat) is pale 
salmon coloured, and 1 would recommend any Epicure offish 
to try a cutlet from it, lower down it is red and like coarse 
beef. I bad numerous applicants for it as there was enough 
to give a good dinner to 20 families. The brain was very 
small, the liver 1G inches long and the gall very large. There 
was nothing in the stomach. In one I saw in the Bazaar was 
a fish of 2 feet long. They are 1 believe general feeders, but are 
easily caught with the Ourite for which it has a great partiality 
and doubtless it can readily work them out of their holes with 
its long snout, which could not be injured by their suckers. 
“This fish is a beautiful sight in the water. It has a ha- 
bit of lying suning itself on the surface when undisturbed, its 
dorsal fully expended and acting as a sail, (and when needed 
he can propel himself at great speed.) but it is only in the calm- 
est weather it can be thus seen. It is frequently caught in deep 
water with hook and line, and when near surface he is speared, i 
am informed by the Hon. Mr Ward who has had considerable 
experience with this fish that it is at times difficult and even 
dangerous to capture ; when hooked or speared, he makes for 
the boat taking, and a game fish giving plenty of sport, 
taking tremendous leaps into the air, and if care is not taken 
it will leap into the boat to the great consternation of the fisli- 
ermen. Many cases are on record where it has driven its snout 
into the timbers of a ship, shewing what tremendous power of 
attack it possesses. 
“ One head I have that has been cut oft’ just behind the 2nd 
Dorsal ray has a boss or knot on the bead opposite the eyes, 
and is rounded off up to the fin. Instead of facing forwards 
when extended as my entire fish does, these 2 rays bend back- 
wards and are very thick and short not half the length of the 
other, though the head has belonged to a much larger fish. 
Yours very truly, 
Nicolas Bike. 
