THL THRESHER AND THE WFIAT.E.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Will you kindly allow me a little space in your interesting columns to reply to a letter on the above subject in your issue of June 28th? I have no scientific or practical knowledge on the subject, but I have been more fortunate than your corre- spondent, and have seen a thresher in action. In 1908 I sailed direct from Cardiff to Buenos Ayres. On my coming up on deck one evening, when about three days off the latter port, a distant splash was pointed out to me as being caused by a thresher far ahead. I watched with my glasses, and as we got nearer could see a large fish rising to its full height out of the water and then dashing itself down on its side. We passel it at perhaps 200 yards, and with my glasses I saw once or twice a dark object under it as it eame down. The captain of the steamer told me that it was probably a young whale that it was attacking. He
also said that a thresher and a sword fish always worked in combination : the sword fish attacked from below while the thresher smote it from above when it was brought to the sur- face. The thresher did not leave the water entirely, but seemed to get a purchase with its tail to bring its weight down with greater force. The attack lasted as long as ws could see, and the heavy periodical splash was lost astern in the twilight.—
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