166 



&quatic JLitt 



of mind in evolution, we must keep to 

 the steep trail and not yield to the temp- 

 tation to take smoother paths leading to 

 rest shelters by the way. But we must 

 watch our steps. By this I mean that, 

 although we can interpret the animal 

 mind only in terms of our own exper- 

 ience, yet we must not uncritically read 

 our thoughts and feelings back into ani- 

 mals' minds. The only safe rule is to 

 assume that an animal acts reflexly or 

 unconsciously except when it can be 

 shown that the unconscious mechanisms 

 are inadequate to account for the be- 

 havior and intelligence alone is adequate. 

 And these are very difficult things to 

 prove in regard to animals so far re- 

 moved from us in behavior type as are 

 the fishes. 



The popular dramatization of animal 

 life and imputation to them of human 

 thoughts and feelings may have a certain 

 justification for literary or pedagogic 

 purposes, the same as other fairy stories. 

 But let it not be forgotten that this is 

 fiction for children, not science nor the 

 foundation for science ; and there is a 

 long, long road to travel before we shall 

 be able to understand in any but the most 

 shadowy outlines what a fish's mind is 

 really like. — By permission, from Na- 

 tural History, Journal of the American 

 Museum. 



"I went over to Iona to do some shop- 

 ping," explained our neighbor, "and I've 

 been laughing ever since." 



"There was an awful crowd on the 

 streets, and it wasn't Saturday, so I didn't 

 know what was the matter. But a clerk 

 in a store told me that the circus was in 

 town. To think I'd forgotten that — and 

 missed the parade, too ! But it was too 

 late to think about circuses ; so I finished 

 my shopping and got some ice cream and 

 then went to the station to get the 5.30 

 for home. 



"There was quite a crowd in the de- 

 pot — people going home from the circus, 

 mostly. I noticed one woman all dressed 

 in her best, and carefully holding a cov- 

 ered tin pail on her lap. Every now and 

 then she would take the cover off, look 

 in, and then put the cover on again. 

 Then another woman came in and spoke 

 to the woman with the pail : 



"Well, did you have a good time?" 

 she said. "And what are you taking 

 home — something good to eat?" 



"No," smiled the other, "I'll bet you 

 can't guess what I've got in this pail, 

 so I'll show you. And she removed the 

 cover. 



"Goldfish !" exclaimed the woman, tak- 

 ing a look. "Did you buy them here? 

 I thought you had some at home." 



"These are the ones I had at home. 

 You see I wanted to go to the circus, 

 and there was nobody at home to leave 

 them with, so I brought them along." 



"I went outside to laugh, and I laugh- 

 ( all the way home. It's a wonder she 

 didn't bring the cow, too." — Exchange. 



Make a Note 



Heretofore a volume of Aquatic L,iFE 

 has consisted of the numbers from Sep- 

 tember to August of the year following. 

 The present volume, IV, will be continued 

 to the end of the year, thus making it in- 

 clude 16 numbers. The purpose of tthis 

 departure is to make Volume V, and sub- 

 sequent volumes, coincide with the cal- 

 endar year. The status of subscriptions 

 is not affected. 



The fellow with the original thought 

 is a lap ahead of the other man and gets 



the big pay. 



■*■ 



Did you ever notice that the young 

 fellow who always has a lot of girls run- 

 nin' after him always marries the plain- 

 est lookin' one of the bunch? 



