"Now, on the hother 'and, sir, look at the moonfish. They is all length and draft and no beam, like the 'ind weel of a vaggon; it couldn't cast a shadder if it was facin' the sun. And the angel-fish 'aven't much more beam to swear by. Now, sir, hall these slimjims 'ave small mouths and pinchers for teeth, and goes a-nosin' 'round the rocks, and a-vorkin' of theirselves thro' the narrow crannies, and a-pinchin' hoff the coral-bugs and sea-lice. Now, sir, a flounder is wicey wersy from a moonfish, it 'asn't hany draft, and don't carry any sail to speak of, and so it 'ides in the sand a-waitin' for sumpthin' to turn hup in the vay o'grub." "That's true," I would say, "they lead a very lazy, humdrum life, and don't hustle much for a living." "But for a real racin' yacht," he would continue, "give me the kingfish, or Spanish mackerel, or boneeto; they ketches their food on the run and jump; and speakin' o'jumpin', sir, look at the tarpon, and bone-fish, and skipjack; they is the kankeroos o' the sea." "Many fishes," I would observe, "have their analogues; that is, they seem to bear some fancied resemblance, either in habits or appearance, to some object or animal of the land." "Vell, sir, it's as true as gospel; a man is like a fish out o' water; 'e puffs like a porpus and drinks like a fish. And the butterflies are the yellow grunts and pork-fish and little snappers and cockeyed pilots; and the red snappers and squirrel-fish are the fillimingoes and pink curlews; and the nigger-fish and conies is the le'pards; and the blowfish and puffers is the 'edge'ogs and porkupines. And then there's the poll-parrots, red, blue, yellow, and green, from the puddin'-wife to slippery-dick; if they'd vings like the flyin'-fish, we'd put 'em in cages." "True, enough," I would assent; "and up north we have fish that go into hiding and sleep all winter, like the bears; and some that make nests for their eggs, and guard them, and take care of their young ones like a hen broods her chicks. And in some countries there are fish that crawl out on the land, and climb trees like squirrels." He listened to this apparently very doubtfully, and frowned fiercely, but kept silent until he filled and lighted his pipe; then, after scanning the horizon, he said meekly:-- "I think we'll be goin' 'ome, sir; it looks werry squally in the sou' east." INDEX _Albula vulpes_, ladyfish, 355, 361. _Ambloplites rupestris_, rock-bass, 2, 52. Anchovy, banded, 320, big, 320, silver, 320. Angel-fish, 384, description, 385, tackle and fishing, 386. Angling, fresh-water, 341. salt-water, 341. _Anisotremus virginicus_, pork-fish, 323, 334. _Aplodinotus grunniens_, fresh-water drum, 232. _Archoplites interruptus_, Sacramento perch, 2, 57. _Archosargus probatocephalus_, sheepshead, 251, 252. Arctic grayling, 176. coloration, 177, 178. description, 177, 178.