their appearance every year almost to a day, with unvarying regularity.
They remain in the smooth waters of lagoons for about two weeks,
swimming about in incredible numbers, and apparently so terrified of
their many enemies in their own element, and the savage, keen-eyed
frigate birds which constantly assail them from above, that they
sometimes crowd into small pools on the inner reef, and when the tide is
low, seek to hide themselves by lying in thick masses under the
overhanging ledges of coral rock. Simultaneously--or at least within a
day or two at most--the swarming millions of _atuli_ are followed into
the lagoons by the _gatala_--a large black and grey rock-cod (much
esteemed by the natives for the delicacy of its flavour) and great
numbers of enormous eels. At other times of the year both the _gatala_
and the eels are never or but rarely seen inside the lagoons, but are
occasionally caught outside the reef at a good depth--forty to sixty
fathoms. As soon, however, as the young bonito appear, both eels and
rock-cod change their normal habits, and entering the lagoons through
the passages thereto, they take up their quarters in the deeper
parts--places which are fringed by a labyrinthine border of coral
forest, and are at most ten fathoms deep. Here, when the _atuli_ are
covering the surface above, the eels and rock-cod actually rise to the
surface and play havoc among them, especially during moonlight nights,
and in the daytime both rock-cod and eels may be seen pursuing their
hapless prey in the very shallowest water, amidst the little pools and
runnels of the coral reef. It is at this time that the natives of
Nukufetau and some other islands have some glorious sport, for in
addition to the huge eels and rock-cod many other deep-sea fish flock
into the shallower lagoon waters--all in pursuit of the _atuli_--and all
eager to take the hook.

* * * * *