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no NATURE AND THE CAMERA 



sures which showed the fish in good positions. 

 These, when developed, proved to be first-rate nega- 

 tives, and I was quite satisfied until, about a week 

 later, I procured another of the same species. Shortly- 

 after it had been placed in the aquarium, and I had 

 commenced making a water-colour drawing of it, I 

 was much surprised to see it suddenly change colour ; 

 dark purplish-brown markings in the form of irreg- 

 ular broad bars had come, changing and at the same 

 time adding much to the beauty of the fish. I only 

 tell this to show how much depends on knowing 

 what to expect from a fish in the way of colour. Do 

 not photograph a fish until you know what it should 

 look like when it is at its best; otherwise the photo- 

 graph, though true to life, will be misleading. 



This colour-changing is not, so far as I know, 

 noticeable with fresh-water fishes. At least, none that 

 I have photographed has shown it except to a very 

 limited degree. Nor is it to be found among the 

 light-coloured surface fish, vSuch as the mullet, mack- 

 erel, pompano, and jacks. These, having colours that 

 are more or less transparent and iridescent, of blue, 

 green, and silver, colours which render the fish incon- 

 spicuous, do not need the variety of colours and mark- 

 ings by which the bottom fish are protected. These 

 bottom fish, whose home is among the brilliantly col- 

 oured vegetation, require colours as bright as their sur- 

 roundings, that they may not be easily discovered by 



