Flies and Fly-fishing. 38 



painted a dark mud color within. A frame was provided 

 in which the box could swing like a cannon on its trunn- 

 ions, and so arranged that though the normal position of 

 the box was perpendicular, with the glass below and the 

 open end above, yet it could be inclined, and the upper 

 end directed to any part of the sky. 



For the purpose of experiment, uncolored, two shades 

 of coffee-colored, and three shades of mist-colored (cop- 

 peras and logwood dyed) leaders were procured, also 

 three samples of No. 4 enamelled water - proof ed line, 

 yellowish, greenish, and brownish in color. 



The box was filled with water, the samples moved 

 about upon, or beneath the surface, while the writer, 

 with his head and the glass end of the box wrapped in a 

 dark cloth, like a photographer, directed the apparatus 

 towards the sky and noted the results. 



From viewing the under surface of a body of water 

 contained in an aquarium through the lower portion of 

 its glass sides, it was expected that the under surface of 

 the water in the box or tube might look like a mirror, 

 and vision of anything above the surface be cut off. 

 Such was not the case. Objects above the surface could 

 be seen distinctly as through a glass window. 



The variously colored leaders were all alike conspicu- 

 ous to a surprising degree, so much so as to cause won- 

 der that a fish should ever rise to anything connected 

 with them, and this whether above, on, or below the sur- 

 face. It seemed as though the coffee-colored leader was 

 the most visible, but otherwise one could not be told from 

 the other, all difference of color seeming to be lost. Then 

 some drawn mist-colored leader was tried, quite dark in 

 tint and as fine as a hair. Though about as plain to 

 sight as a pencil-mark on white paper, yet it was ap* 



