irely different kind; below
these another shoal of another kind, and so on as far down as the eye
could penetrate. It was a most marvellous sight indeed, and showed what
a teeming life these waters maintain. It seemed that a large fish had
only to lie still with its huge mouth open, and close it every now and
then when he felt hungry, to get a dinner or a luncheon fit for any
fishy alderman. It must be a fine field for the naturalist, the
ichthyologist, probably as fine as that round Bermudas' coral shores, as
illustrated by the new aquarium at Hamilton. But I can hardly think that
the fish of any other climate can compare for brilliancy of colouring
and fantastic variety of shape with those captured on the Hawaiian coast
and well displayed in the aquarium at Honolulu.

I must not forget to mention that at Aransas Pass one may sometimes see
very large whip or sting-rays. They may easily be harpooned, but the
wonderful stories told me of their huge size (I really dare not give the
dimensions), their power and ferocity, quite scared me off trying
conclusions with them. There one may also capture blue-fish, white-fish,
sheepheads and pompanos; all delicious, the pompanos being the most
highly-prized and esteemed, and most expensive, of America's many fine
table fishes. Order a pompano the first opportunity.

Having already mentioned sharks, it may be stated here that one captured
in a net on the California coast four years ago was authoritatively
claimed to be the largest ever taken, yet his length was only some 36
feet; although it is true that the _Challenger_ Expedition dredged up
shark teeth so large that it was judged that the owner must have been
80 to 90 feet long. The Greynurse shark of the South Seas is the most
dreaded of all its tribe; it fears nothing but the Killer, a savage
little whale which will attack and whip any shark living, and will not
hesitate to tackle even a sperm whale. Shark stories are common and
every traveller has many horrible ones to recount. Yet the greatest and
best authorities assert that sharks are mere scavengers (as they are,
and most useful ones) and will never attack an active man, or any man,
unless he be in extremities--that is, dead, wounded or disabled; though,
as among tigers, there probably are some man-eaters. A large
still-standing reward has been offered for a fully-certified case of a
shark voluntarily attacking a man, other than exceptions as above noted,
and that reward