The greatest fishers in the world are fish.  The Whale will catch, in the course of a day, enough herring to last a family for many years, and in all the rivers and oceans and lakes, fishing is going on so constantly and extensively that the efforts of man in that direction seem ridiculous, by contrast.

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The Tunny, a large fish, measuring from two to five feet in ordinary length, is a great fisher.  He, like the Whale, is fond of herrings, and he likes them fresh, not salt, smoked, or pickled.  Often, when the fishermen are busy in their boats, setting their nets for herring, a troupe of Tunnies will come along, and chase the herring in every direction, swallowing every unfortunate fellow that they can catch.

Some of the fishers that live in the sea are terrible fellows, and are by no means content with such small game as herring.  The Sword-fish, for instance, always appears to prefer large victims, and he has such strong tastes of that kind, that he has been known to attack ships, driving his long sword clean through the bottom of the vessel.  But he generally comes off second best on such occasions, for his sword is very often broken off and left sticking fast in the thick hull.

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The Sword-fish has a better chance when he attacks a Whale, and this he has often been known to do.  The Whale could probably kill the Sword-fish, if he could get one good crack at him, but the smaller fish is generally active enough to keep out of the way of harm, while he drives his sword into the Whale again and again, until the great creature often perishes from loss of blood.

The Shark, as you all know, is the most ferocious and dangerous of all the fishers in the sea.  He considers anything suitable for a meal which will go into his mouth; he will eagerly snap at a man, a mouse, or even a tin coffee-pot, or a band-box.  So savage and relentless is this “tiger of the sea” as he is sometimes called, that it is gratifying to think that he occasionally goes out fishing and gets caught himself.  Many instances have been related of natives of the Pacific Islands, who are accustomed to bathe so much in the ocean that they swim almost like fishes themselves, who have successfully given battle to Sharks which have pursued them.  The Shark is unable, from the peculiar formation of his mouth, to seize the man, unless he can turn partially over.  Therefore the man takes care to keep below the Shark, and a few stabs with his long knife are generally sufficient to finish the combat, and to slay the monster.

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Still, although it appears so easy to kill a Shark in this way, I think it will generally be found preferable to try for some other kind of fish.

Let others go seek the Shark, the Sword-fish, or the squirming Cuttle-fish.  Give us the humble Perch and the tender Trout.  Don’t you say so?

EAGLES AND LITTLE GIRLS.