SHALLOW-WATER FAUNA OF THE TROPICS. 75 



parts of the world, and their habits are not 

 exactly the same, so, to give an accurate descrip- 

 tion, our attention will be confined to the form 

 occurring in N. Celebes. This little Fish is 

 about three inches in length and remarkable for 

 its very peculiar eyes, which are of a bright 

 yellow colour, situated quite close together on 

 the top of the head, and projecting so much from 

 their sockets that the outline of more than two- 

 thirds of the eye-ball can be seen. These eyes 

 are extraordinarily moveable, and frequently re- 

 volve quite independently of one another, like 

 the eyes of a Chamseleon, giving the animal a 

 most grotesque and even ludicrous expression. 

 These Fish seem to swim in the water very 

 seldom ; when undisturbed they may be seen 

 clinging to rocks or trees by their fore-fins with 

 their tails only in the water, but from time to 

 time they spring into the air to catch a Fly on 

 the wing, or a small Crab which has come un- 

 warily within their range. Their fore-fins are 

 peculiarly adapted to their habits, in that they 

 have a very muscular base and a distinct elbow 

 joint. 



These creatures are not easy to capture, as the 

 ground on which they live is not adapted for rapid 

 pursuit, and it is impossible to get close enough 

 to them to catch them in a hand-net with a long 

 handle. When kept in an aquarium it is seen 

 that although they are rapid swimmers when 

 they do go below the surface, they seem to prefer 

 to live with their head and shoulders out of the 

 water ; and when chased in their natural haunts 

 they very rarely, if ever, seek to escape by 



