THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 109 
cially if disturbed by its companions, will turn pale below, the 
red quite disappearing, while the darkness of the upper parts 
remains. 
When the change from the dark to the pale phase takes place 
slowly, say in four or five seconds, the obliteration of the differ- 
ent marks and colors can be easily followed with the eye. More 
often the change is instantaneous. When the two extremes of 
coloration are shown in separate fishes, as is often the case, the 
casual observer naturally supposes there are two species in the 
tank. 
Between the extremes of coloration there are several inter- 
mediate phases, one of which shows a pale fish, quite lacking the 
white scales and the red underparts, but with the free margins 
of all scales so dark that they are outlined with a distinctness 
not to be seen in any other species known to me. 
The phase shown in the colored plate of this species (No. 38) 
in the Fishes of Porto Rico has not been observed in the Aqua- 
rium, even after repeated experiments in the large and small 
tanks. The painting was made from a dead fish and is herewith 
reproduced on (plate 5, fig. 4). 
Fig. 1, Plate 4, shows the red parrot-fish in a half pale phase, 
with the white spots appearing faintly, all red color having dis- 
appeared. Fig. 2 is the same fish, photographed two minutes 
later, after the photographer had changed the plate. The rich 
brown color, white spots and gorgeous red were produced in- 
stantly for the benefit of the photographer by touching the fish 
with a stick. Both views were secured in the portable photo- 
graphic tank. 
A flashlight photograph by Mr. Spencer of the large exhibition 
tank shows the red parrot-fish in two additional phases to those 
described above; the left figure (plate 5) is a half-mottled dark 
phase, with the head pale and underparts red. The right figure, 
a slightly-mottled pale phase, only partly red below. 
Another phase is sometimes assumed when the fish is at rest, 
the dark upper color and the red under color being separated by 
a pure white band extending from the upper jaw, through the 
eye to the lower half of the tail, the fringe of the opercle turning 
jet black. 
The palest phase of this species was not observed in the tanks 
of the Bermuda Aquarium, probably because none of the tanks 
were supplied with white sand bottoms. 
GREEN PARROT-FISH, (Sparisoma viridi). This species while 
not capable of the many changes in color so constantly practiced 
