2 MARVELS OF FISH LIFE 



Time after time I have approached this pike without 

 his showing any excitement, but as soon as I took 

 up the net he would reveal his agitation, and a gleam 

 would appear in his eye in anticipation of a meal. 



The minnow, as soon as he was put into the tank, 

 recognised a natural enemy, and the pike frequently 

 had considerable difficulty in catching him. After 

 one or two failures I have seen the pike retire into a 

 corner of the tank, and, taking what shelter there was 

 among the scant weeds, wait until the restless minnow, 

 cruising round and round, had his tail towards him. 

 Then, stealthily coming up from behind, he would rush 

 forward and quickly seize his prey. 



Rainbow trout turned into a pond soon learn to 

 appreciate that an individual standing at a certain 

 spot at certain times of the day means food, and will 

 jump a foot or more out of the water to take it from 

 the hand. At Port Erin Marine Biological Station there 

 are two large ponds in which some four hundred plaice 

 spawn, the eggs being gathered for the hatchery. During 

 her stay of a month a lady made a pet of one particularly 

 large plaice, and I have seen this fish come up to the 

 edge of the pond when she approached, and put its 

 head out of the water to be fed. 



Next let us consider the attitudes and movements 

 of fishes, and what they convey to us 



If we see a cat crouching behind a bush, motionless 

 except for a spasmodic twitch of the end of his tail, 

 we know the cat is watching a bird or a mouse, and he 



