222 THE LIVING ANIMALS OL THE WORLD 
cetaceans, which they invari- 
ably succeed in killing by 
repeated thrusts of the sword. 
It appears that occasionally 
sword-fishes make a mistake, 
and, after the fashion of Don 
Quixote, tilt at windmills, in 
the shape of large vessels, 
under the impression that 
they are whales. But this 
most grave error of judgment 
brings with it a heavy penalty, 
in that, having no power to 
make effective backward move- 
ments, the sword remains 
fixed, and is eventually broken off in the struggle for freedom. Frank Buckland reminds us 
that in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, London, is a section of the bow of 
a whaler impaled by one of these swords. That portion of the sword which remains is l foot 
long and 5 inches in circumference. “ At one single blow,” he writes, '* the fish had plunged 
his sword through, and completely transfixed 13.1 inches of solid timber. The sword had of 
course broken off and prevented a dangerous leak in the ship.” In the British Museum is 
a second specimen of a ship’s side in which the sword of a sword-fish is fixed. 
Photo by A. S, Rudland Scm 
SWORD-FISH 
TAc huge back-fin is said to be often used as a sail at'hen the fish is fioating near the surface of 
the icater 
CHAPTER IV 
HAIR-TAILS, HORSE-MACKERELS, SEA-BATS, DORIES, MACKERELS, SUCKING- 
FISHES, WEAVERS, FROG-FISHES, ANGLER-FISHES, BULL-HEADS, AND 
GURNARDS 
BY W. P. PYCRAFT, a. L. S., F. Z.S. 
O F the family of Dair-tails perhaps the most important members are the Scabbard- or 
Frost-fish and the Snoek. The first is common in the Mediterranean and the 
• warmer parts of the Atlantic, extending northwards to the south coast of England, 
where it occurs at rare intervals. It is also known in New Zealand, where it is called 
the Frost-fish, and furthermore is regarded as one of the most delicious fish of the colony, its 
flesh being fine, tender, and of delicate flavour. On this account it is much in demand, but 
the supply is very uncertain. 'I'he conditions of capture, indeed, of this fish are unparalleled 
in the annals of fishing, for it can be taken neither with the rod nor the net. The would-be 
captor has to wait patiently under favourable conditions on the seashore for the fish to come 
photo by Percy Aihenden\ 
SNOEK 
Thh Jish is also kno'wn as the Barracuda 
\Cape Town 
