REFLECTIONS FROM THE WATER. 95 



by light which is reflected, which we see most distinctly 

 depends upon what is most brightly illuminated. 



When the water is tolerably deep, so that the bottom 

 receives little light, then the reflected light predominates 

 in the eye, and we see, as in the engraving, the buildings, 

 and the trees, and the grass along the shore, and even the 

 forms of the ducks swimming on the surface, by reflected 

 light. The light, too, is reflected in accordance with the 

 principle already explained, namely, so as to make the 

 angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection. The 

 course of only two rays is given in the engraving one 

 from each of two points in the eaves of the buildings, to 

 show the principle. In truth, however, there would be an 

 infinite number of rays from each of these points, diverging 

 in every direction, and striking the water at every angle, 

 all of them being reflected on the other side of the perpen- 

 dicular to each, at the same angle they made in coming to 

 the surface. But only those which fell upon the water at 

 such an angle as to cause them to proceed, after reflection, 

 to the eye of the boy, would take effect in his vision, and 

 he would see the image of the points from which they pro- 

 ceeded in the direction in which they came to him, as 

 shown by the dotted prolongation of the lines beneath the 

 water. 



In the same manner, from every other point in the build- 

 ings and in the adjoining trees light would be radiated, 

 and would fall upon the water at every angle, and those 

 rays that fell at the right angle to be carried, after reflec- 

 tion, to the boy, would aid in completing the picture of the 

 landscape in his eye. Thus he would have an image of the 

 entire scene upon his retina, the several parts of it appear- 

 ing as far below the water as the real object was above, 

 except so far as the effect would be modified by the higher 

 or lower portion of his eye. 



