294 Fish Stories 



little brook which comes to my mind as I write two kinds of 

 minnows come up the stream together before the others 

 realize that it is verily spring. The one is small, dainty, 

 translucent and active, swimming free in the water near the 

 surface and able to take care of itself when pursued by a 

 sunfish or bass. Along the side of it^ body are two black 

 stripes not quite parallel, and between and below them the 

 silvery scales are flushed with fiery scarlet. The fins are 

 all yellow, with scarlet at base, and as the male passes and re- 

 passes before the female all these colors, which she has not, 

 grow brighter than ever. 



The next is a larger fish, clumsy in form, hugging the 

 bottom as he swims. The whole body of the male is covered 

 with coarse white warts, and across each fin is a bar of 

 black, white and orange. This minnow feeds on mud, or 

 rather on the little plants which grow in the mud, and his 

 intestines are lengthened out proportionately. In fact, they 

 are so long that, to find room for them, they are wound 

 spool fashion about the air bladder in a way which happens 

 to no other animal. 



Of the other minnows, the one scares his rivals by a 

 big, jet-black head ; another by the painted fins, which shine 

 like white satin; another by his deep-blue sheen, which is 

 washed all over with crimson. In fact, every conceivable 

 arrangement of bright colors can be found, if we go the 

 country over, as the adornment of some minnow when he 

 mates in the spring. The only exception is green, for to 

 the fishes, as to the birds, green is not a color. It only 

 serves to cover color, while the purpose of real color is to 

 be seen. 



And there are fishes whose colors are so placed that they 

 are hidden from above or below, but are seen of their own 

 kind which looks on them from the side. 



The brightest fishes in the world, the " Johnny darters," 

 are in our little brook. But if you look at them from above 

 you will hardly see them, for they are dull olive on the back. 



