Nature's Teachings: Human Invention Anticipated by NatureWood, J. G. (John George)
History
Nature's Teachings: Human Invention Anticipated by Nature
Wood, J. G. (John George)
Inventions; Natural history
One point of ingenuity must be mentioned, as it really belongs to the
principle of the bait. These same savages, having noticed that large
sea-birds are in the habit of hovering over the flying-fish, and would
probably be seen by the Coryphenes, rig up a very long bamboo rod, tie
to its end a large bundle of leaves and fibres, and then fix it in the
stern of the boat, the sham bird being hung some twenty feet above the
sham fish. There is a refinement of deception here, for which we should
scarcely give such savages their due credit.
* * * * *
IN Art, then, we bait our hooks either with real or false food, and so
attract the fish.
In Nature we have a most accomplished master of the art of baiting, who
has the wonderful power of never needing a renewal of his bait. A glance
at the left-hand figure of the next illustration will show that I allude
to the Angler-fish, sometimes called the Fishing-frog (_Lophius
piscatorius_). This remarkable creature has a most enormous mouth, and
comparatively small body. On the top of its head are some curious bones,
set just like a ring and staple, so as to move freely in every
direction. A figure of this piece of mechanism will be given in a
future page. At the end of these bones are little fleshy appendages,
which must be very tempting to most fish, which are always looking out
for something to eat. As they are being waved about, they look as if
they were alive. The fish darts at the supposed morsel, and is at once
engulfed in the huge jaws of the Angler-fish, which, but for this
remarkable apparatus, would be scarcely able to support existence, as it
is but a sluggish swimmer, and yet needs a large supply of food. The
illustration, representing on the right hand a fish attracted to a bait,
and on the left, the Angler-fish, with its bait-like appendage to the
head, speaks for itself.
[Illustration: ANGLER-FISH. ANGLING.]
* * * * *
PASSING to the art of Angling with a rod and line, we now arrive at
another development.
Supposing a fish to have taken the bait, and to have been firmly hooked,
how is it to be landed? The simplest plan is, of course, to have a very
thick and strong line which will not break with the weight of any
ordinary fish.
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