Art. vi.j Herrick, Tustf ifi Fishes. 63 



stantly seized and swallowed. This was repeated many times 

 with several of the fishes. 



In subsequent experiments the fish were not removed from 

 their own tank, but the water was drawn ofifso that it was only 

 about six inches deep. Here they would lie under the leaves 

 and the experiment could be continued with a minimum of dis- 

 turbance to the fishes. The experiment of touching the barblet 

 with meat was repeated hundreds of times with an almost inva- 

 riable result that the fish instantly turned and snapped up the 

 morsel. If the meat was merely held very close to the barblet 

 it usually produced no response. The reaction was obtained 

 equally well, no matter which barblet was touched. 



In a later series of experiments I found that the fish would 

 almost always turn and seize the meat if it were touched at any 

 point on the head or body. If the tail of the fish projected 

 out from under a leaf and the skin near the root of the tail fin 

 were touched with meat, the fish would turn and seize the 

 meat. This reaction was not so uniformly made at first as that 

 from the barblets, but after a dozen or so of trials it followed 

 with equal promptness and uniformity, the fish apparently re- 

 quiring a little practice to learn the movement perfectly. 



The experiments last described were repeated the next 

 day and by this time it was found that the fish had become so 

 tame that they would take the meat if offered to them in the 

 open without the shelter of the dead leaves, though not so cer- 

 tainly as when under the cover of the leaves, often taking fright 

 from the shadow of the observer's hand or from some other 

 cause. 



In none of these cases did the fishes appear to see the bait, 

 or to perceive it in any way other than by actual contact with 

 the skin at some point. If the bait were held a moment in 

 front of them and then moved slowly away they would not 

 follow it. If, however, it touched a barblet and then moved 

 rapidly away before the fish had time to seize it, then the fish 

 would sometimes follow it a short distance. 



At this point the relations of vision and smell to these 

 reactions should receive some further consideration. Tliese 



