May 27, 1972 - A Marvel

A marvel I have here - a smelt. Because of the late spring, the latest ice since 1896 or 1918, depending on whom you talk to, the poor smelt knew not when or where to run. So today as we traversed our rocky shore for the 1st time in 7 months we found smelt along the water's edge - all along in singles and groups - some still straight & silvery - others, higher, bent & brown & mishapen. I picked one up to examine it closely & was fascinated by the exquisite coloring and detailed anatomy which goes unseen by so many who flock & fight to capture hundreds of its kind but never look, really look, at the creature they covet so. Mine is about 7" long - light & silvery, almost pearly beneath - there is a narrow lavender or periwinkle line separating this from a darker dorsal side. The fins are delicate and fine - a large one in the center of the back - a funny small one different from the rest half way between this other fin & the tail which is double & pointed vertically into 2 separate fans. Ventrally, below the central dorsal fin, is a double fin - a pair of exuisite crystal fans delicately lies as are the others with a row of veins (?) which branch into 4 finer branches creating a transparent pattern of such beauty as to equal any work of Swedish crystal. Another pair of such fins are found at the base of the gills which are a tender pink in color. His mouth opens quite wide at each side with a transparent stitch of skin acting as a protective hinge fronted by a strange protrusion of firmer stuff that juts separately below the lower jaw. There are 2 tiny but very strong teeth evident on the front of his upper jaw - his lower jaw being lined all along the edge with finer points & what appears a tongue, a hard bony toothed extension hung down the center of his mouth. The large bulbous silver eye cases fill most of the upper part of his head inside. I am hampered by my lack of biological knowledge but I simply wanted to remind myself of the small magnificent marvels that surround us, unseen & unappreciated. One we saw had oozed a mass of yellow eggs (?) - called ____ - and the rocks were covered with tiny white globules, very sticky & hard to detach once touched, which, when pressured, popped to free a white ooze - were these smelt eggs? My guess today was they were & thus I educated Doug - poor boy, the captive audience of a frustrated & only - partly - informed naturalist mother - but we have fun!

Jonathan Swift = Life is a comedy for him who thinks and a tragedy for him who feels.