Reactions of the Gray Snaf^l^cr to'^'ard .Ibnoiiiial .Ithcriiias. 267 



colors used, except when the experinicnlor was too near them. Thus in the 

 first experiment the first red fish thrown from a distance of 15 feet was 

 taken at once, while the remaining 5 thrown when the experimenter was 

 only 6 feet from the snappers were taken with some hesitation. In subse- 

 quent experiments the experimenter did not approach nearer than 15 feet 

 and the colored atlierinas were then taken readily. In only a few indi- 

 vidual instances was any hesitation observed, and it was then found that 

 this was coincident with the moving about of some person on the dock and 

 that it concerned uncolored fish as well as colored. It is an interesting fact 

 that this hesitation is greater if someone is fishing from the dock with a rod. 

 The colors used ranged through the spectrum, although none of them, so 

 far as I know, is a pure spectral color. Since the snappers gave no evidence 

 that any of these colors served to warn them, it becomes highly improbable 

 that any color in itself has a warning meaning to them. Had any color had 

 such meaning they should have refused it or taken it with great hesitation. 

 This conclusion seems to me warranted, even though the food .offered them 

 IS, except for its color, one which they take at this season with great fre- 

 quency. 



ABNORM.AL T.\STE OR ODOR. 



In order to study in a preliminary way the behavior of the snappers 

 toward substances of disagreeable odor or taste, atherinas stained red were 

 treated with various substances and thrown to the snappers with the results 



T.ABLE 2. Reactions of Laboratory colony of gray snappers toward atherinas treated 

 ti'ith substances having unpleasant odor or taste, July, JP05. 



