92 



The Galjoen becomes sometimes quite dark, almost black, 

 in the tank, but, if suddenly startled or alarmed, it may be- 

 come almost silvery white in less than half a minute. Like 

 most fish, it also occasionally shows the dark pigment in broad 

 vertical bands across the body. These are sometimes very 

 marked, but exactly under what conditions they appear is not 

 quite certain. 



I may mention here another striking change in the colour 

 and behaviour of the Galjoen at times, an almost exactly 

 similar phenomenon to that observed in the case of several 

 other members of this family, such as the Dasje, the Hottentot, 

 the Wildepaard, and Steenje. It is observed almost always 

 when the fish are in pairs. Two Galjoen may be seen swim- 

 ming close to the bottom of the tank, often circling round each 

 other, keeping to a restricted area, and displaying more 

 interest in each other than usual. At such times the colour 

 of both deepens, and becomes blacker. The relation be- 

 tween the two seems to be an amicable one, and may be 

 concerned with reproduction, though in the case of the Steenje, 

 noted below, this would not seem to be always the case. 



The Galjoen is one of the South African fishes which is 

 •widely distributed throughout the South African coasts, and I 

 have received specimens from Walfish Bay, East London and 

 Natal. It is most abundant near the Cape. 



John Brown {Gymnocrotaphus curvidens). 



This is one of the most interesting of the family of the 

 Sparidae. Like the Galjoen, it is a genus peculiar to South 

 Africa, and is generally found in the same localities. Its 

 behaviour seems to indicate a greater degree of intelligence 

 than appears in the others. Thus, it is one of the few fish in 

 the aquarium that display any particular interest in their 

 fellow creatures on the other side of the glass ; while other fish 

 are on the hunt for food or swimming aimlessly about in the 

 tank, this fish often comes to the observer and gazes with what 

 seems a certain amount of intelligence and curiosity. Nor is 

 it usually alarmed by any sudden movement ; most of the fish 

 in the tank can be scared by the sudden flicking of a white 

 cloth in front of them, when they crowd towards the observer 

 for food ; the John Brown, however, will remain when all of 

 the others have made off and, if the annoyance be continued, 

 will frequently resent it, shaking his head and opening his 

 mouth in a threatening manner. 



Its colour is a bright yellowish brown, becoming darker with 

 a tinge of purple on the head region. The eyes are of a bright 



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