Pisces. 67 



boat, as with the heel, communicate with the water? Is it well to 

 have bright metal, such as nickel or silver, on fishing rods? 



The Water Glass. The difficulties of seeing into water may, to 

 a considerable extent, be overcome by the use of a water glass. 

 This is a box or cylinder with a glass bottom. When the glass 

 bottom is pushed down into the water, the face over the open end 

 shuts out most of the light from above, thus getting rid of the con- 

 fusion from reflection. It is possible to make such a glass as 

 part of the boat, so one can view what is under the boat. 



Food of Fishes. Find what the fish you are studying prefers to 

 eat. If you are fishing, examine the stomach of the first fish you 

 catch to see what it has been eating. The wise fisherman will do 

 his best to cater to the taste of the fish he would catch. Why does 

 the fly-fisher drag the fly on the water, or make it dance about? 

 Find the time of day at which a fish prefers to eat. Does this 

 vary with any discoverable conditions ? Do fishes eat during the 

 night? What do the various artificial baits imitate? 



Hiding Places. What sort of places do fish hide in? Do they 

 hide to escape enemies, or that they may catch unsuspecting prey 

 that passes by their lurking place? In what situations does the 

 fisherman look for different kinds of fishes ? 



Sociability. What fishes live a solitary life ? What kinds go in 

 schools? What advantages in community life? What disadvan- 

 tages ? Does a school of fish scatter when frightened ? Do they 

 come together again soon? 



Position in a Current. When in a current do fishes maintain 

 any fixed relation to the current, that is, do they rest crosswise, 

 or lengthwise, in the stream? If lengthwise, is the head up or 

 down stream? Why this position? 



Egg Laying. At what season does the fish you are studying 

 lay its eggs ? Are they usually deposited in the safne surroundings ? 

 How long time is taken in depositing them? Are they guarded? 

 What animals may destroy them ? What conditions are favorable 



