GILL] LIFE HISTORIES OF TOADFISHES 417 
of the nets, as if they thus mounted aloft only in the darkness of 
the night. A fisherman expressed the belief that he had even seen 
this fish spring above the surface.” It remains to be ascertained 
whether such excursions are habitual or confined to breeding fishes. 
Schmidtlein contrasted the habits of the weever with those of the 
stargazers. Most closely connected with the latter are the species 
of Trachinids, both as regards biology and relationship. But the 
slenderer and more elongated body of the latter, with the abrupt 
flanks and the crest-like back, indicates’ more active creatures. 
Mouth and eyes are directed upwards; but the latter occupy a 
somewhat lateral position, are extremely mobile, having complete 
independence of both axes, and show a brilliant blue or bluish-green 
metallic luster. Schmidtlein had repeatedly noted, among fishes, 
a vivid curiosity regarding lustrous and strikingly colored objects, 
and urged, for instance, that the black eyes of the “ Langouste ” 
(Palinurus) and other craw-fishes frequently expose them to dan- 
ger. He was led to the opinion that the brilliantly lustrous and 
mobile eyes of Trachinids may serve to lure fishes. They are at 
least the most conspicuous part of the little that may be seen of the 
creature buried after the manner of the stargazer. 
In the aquarium, according to Schmidtlein, the weevers are much 
more active than the stargazers. If fishes are thrown into one’s 
basin, they start up immediately from the bed and snatch them up 
as they fall. However, an American Uranoscopid (Astroscopus 
y-grecum) may do the same. 
The weevers have been regarded as mainly piscivorous, and 
doubtless accept any small fishes that may come within reach, but 
later observations show that they feed largely on crustaceans. 
Couch (1863) actually found in the stomach of one “two gobies 
and a launce,” and in others various small fishes as well as squids 
and macrurous crustaceans (shrimps, etc.) had been found. But 
the most satisfactory data were obtained by Dr. T. Wemyss Fulton 
and published in the “Twentieth Annual Report of the Fishery 
Board of Scotland”’ (part 111, p. 493, 1902). He examined forty- 
three specimens of the lesser weever with interesting results. “In 
the stomachs of those collected in April, 1900, very little food was 
observed, and only four out of the fourteen examined contained 
matter that could be identified ; this consisted chiefly of the remains 
of Praunus inermis [a kind of prawn], Gammarus locusta [sand 
fléa], some remains of annelids and of two or three small fishes 
(Clupeoids). . . . In the stomachs of ten specimens examined 
in May the contents consisted chiefly of Schistomysis sp. [a schizo- 
