36 MARVELS OF FISH LIFE 



the bars, and so the bars are gradually changed into 

 spots. With increasing size the pike leaves the reeds at 

 the side of the pond or river, and lies on the bottom in 

 open water. Here his spots conceal him, whereas yellow 

 bars would reveal him. 



I would briefly refer to the photographs of the three 

 pike on the plate facing this page. The top illustration 

 was one of the first fish photographs I ever took, now 

 some ten years ago, and I would draw attention to the 

 fact that the reeds around the fish are not those of a 

 water plant at all, though at the time I thought they 

 were, in consequence of the land being flooded where they 

 grew. The middle illustration, in addition to showing the 

 bars changing into spots, is one of the best illustrations 

 I ever obtained of a pike advancing to attack its prey. 

 The back is perfectly straight, and the screw-like move- 

 ment of the caudal fin, by which the fish slowly propelled 

 itself forward, is well suggested. The bottom illustration 

 is that of a dead twenty-one pound pike. 



It is not necessary that concealing colours should be 

 dull. Rocks, weeds and stones in our rivers and in our 

 seas are mostly of a sombre hue, and so our fishes, with 

 very few exceptions, are not brilliant in colour. In 

 tropical waters, however, fish vie with the most gorgeous 

 of birds in their appearance, and crimsons, carmines, 

 blues, greens and yellows, arranged in bars, bands and 

 blotches, assist in concealing these gaudy fish among 

 the corals and brilliant sub-aquatic scenes of those 

 regions. 



