ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



104. 1 5 



PORPOISES IN THE NETS. HATTERAS, N. C. 



than a cursory manner. There are of course 

 some very satisfactory life histories of certain 

 common species, especially those inhabiting 

 the fresh waters. 



A good book on the habits of fishes, based 

 on patient personal study is still a desidera- 

 tum. The Smithsonian Institution has pub- 

 lished several excellent papers, largely com- 

 pilations, during recent years, and there is 

 much of value in the Bulletins of the U. S. 

 Bureau of Fisheries, especially on the Pacific 

 Salmon and other species of commercial 

 importance. After studying a considerable 

 number of standard works on the fishes, one 

 cannot fail to be impressed with the fact that 

 the fish has been dealt with in a general way; 

 its species, distribution, seasonal movements, 

 methods of capture and market value. Per- 

 haps in no other class of animals will the 

 natural history statements be found to contain 

 so much quoting from other 

 authorities and so little 

 based on the author's 

 personal observation out 

 of doors. This, is of 

 course, due largely to the 

 fact that the fish lives 

 under water where its 

 manner of living cannot be 

 observed as readily as in 

 the case of land creatures. 

 They do not come about 

 the gardens and fields, but 

 must be searched for and 

 observed under serious 

 difficulties. 



Since the keeping of 

 fishes in aquaria became 

 common many important 

 facts have been recorded. 



but observations on the 

 animal in captivity can 

 manifestly deal with but 

 little of its real life. 



A careful observer, by 

 long continued peering in- 

 to the natural habitat of 

 the fish, lying in uncom- 

 fortable positions on the 

 bank of the stream or star- 

 B ing through a water glass 

 over the side of a boat, 

 should be able to learn 

 things about the fishes 

 which cannot be found in 

 any book. For many im- 

 portant facts relating to 

 the senses of fishes, we are indebted to the 

 modern marine biological laboratory and 

 facts based on scientific experiment relative 

 to the fishes' powers of hearing and memory, 

 its colors, sleep, electrical and poisonous pro- 

 perties, the sounds it makes and so on, are 

 slowly being brought to light. These are 

 based on painstaking laboratory work involv- 

 ing observations under different conditions 

 and accompanied by more or less experiment 

 and use of apparatus. 



There are innumerable "lists of species" 

 of fishes which have been found in certain 

 localities by local observers, and from such 

 we frequently obtain new data for range 

 and distribution. There are innumerable 

 observers devoting themselves to the habits of 

 birds and mammals and many of them are 

 doing wonderful work with the camera. The 

 modern camera is, in fact, giving us a new 



J? ? - - 



•'- *: 



I'OKI'OISES ON THE BEACH AT HA IT EKAS 



