The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-05

this Is what happened, as the fish has lit
orally no tail, its place being taken by
what appears to be a mere rim or frlll
which can be moved 10 limited extent
The sunfish. like the basking shark, has
singular habit of lying on the surface in
the wash of the waves. and is almost al
ways taken for a piece of wreckage
In August in the Santa Catalina chan
mel they are frequently broadsde up, the
pectoral IN slowly tanning the air-the
only evidence of life about the strange
object. Why the fish takes this position
Is TO certain extent unknown, but l
think it is due in some instances to the
f0cu that the creature is infested with
many parasites (which live in the thick
mucus which covers its skin, and that it
endeaVOrs to destroy them by exposing
itself 10 the direct rays of the sun.
Huge sunfish.
These fish attain an enormous size
was spending some weeks at the mouth
Of the St Johns river some years ago,
when a sunfish ran aground on the bar
as would ship drawing over ten feet of
water. AS soon as it struck it keeled over
and began to thrash about, attracting 50
much attention that a boat was sent out
to secure It, The fish measured from the
top of one fin to that of the other eleven
feet ard must have weighed over one
thousand pounds. An equally large speci-
men was taken off Redondo beach. CAL
ifornia. They are sluggish fish, so that
1 have rowed alongside and hooked them
with a boathook or gaff
One of the largest ever seen was har-
pooned off Santa Catalina Island a few
years ago. 1t was estimated at twenty
feet across and to weigh two thousand
pounds. The fish was lying prone upon
the surface, and was so sluggish that it
barely moved when the heavy harpoon
was driven into 1t. Il soon began to set
tie, and 1t was the opinion of those in
the boat that If the rope had not broken
the giant would have dragged the launch
beneath the water. These fish afford an
excellent roost for various sea birds. and
the spectacle of a sunfsh bearing several
gulls or cormorant Is often Witnessed:
in such a case 1t might readily be taken
for wreckage.
1t Is possible that the gulls aid in free
ing the gAeat fishes of their parasitic on
emes. aiighting upon them as the Httle
African bird enters the mouth of the croo-
odile which patiently opens 1t for the pur-
pose. Such resting places are more or
less unsteady, but by continual practice
the birds become skilled in holding on.
This is well exampliied by the gulls.
which follow the steamers which ply be-
tween San Pedro and Avalon, Cal The
birds follow the steamer out and back
a flight of forty miles. and when they
become weary they appear to take turns
In alighting on the round golden ball which
surmounts the mast. This almost impos-
sible resting place pitches about in ell
directions; now forward or backward, or
from side to side, sometimes Jerking the
bird of; but. as n rule, these feathered
acrobats retain their position, even in the
toughest weather
when the OK Bitter Gets Indignant.
In Africa. especially in the great
swamps, certain birds employ a variety
OF animals as roosts A small white
heron has special fondness for the rhi-
noceros often being seen sitting on its
back, its pure while body in shnrn CON
trat to the black and undiscovered living
roost. The great water buffalo is often
known as OK biters. which run over ire
body clining to the long hair. ears or
toll, hanging in clusters about the ma
tient animal, and rise above Il in clouds
and nocks, uttering vocferous cries
when the roost, perchance to relieve H.
self from the noisy throng, rolls in the
deep mud of the swamp
The camel is often used by several. b,rds
as a roost, and undoubtedly'all these birds
repay the animals by destroying the va
rious parasites which infest them. Dur