94 Book of the Black Bass. 



different fishes, prove that they are of the greatest use to 

 them, in proenring food, and in escaping from their 

 enemies; and are placed "where they will do the most 

 good." 



In the majority of fishes, which are constantly moving 

 about, and frequent alike the surface and bottom of 

 streams, the eyes are placed in the usual position of most 

 other animals, one on each side of the head. In those 

 which stay more constantly in the lower deptt of waters, 

 the eyes are placed on top of the head, as in the star-gazers ; 

 while in the flat fishes, which recline or swim on one side 

 near the bottom, both eyes are placed on the same side of 

 the head, enabling them to obtain the benefit of both eyes 

 Avhile in that position. In the pike-perch, which is noctur- 

 nal in its habits, the eyes are unusually large, as is the case 

 with other animals who seek their food mostly at night. 



It is a popular idea that fish are necessarily near-sighted 

 on account of the conformation of the eye, which is large, 

 round and prominent ; and the main argument adduced to 

 support this theory, is the readiness with which they will 

 take an artificial fly, trolling spoon or other artificial bait, 

 which resemble in but slight degree the natural objects of 

 food that they are intended to represent, if, indeed, they 

 are intended to represent any thing. 



It is often the case that those anglers who are most 

 strenuous in their Iheory that fish are near-sighted, stultify 

 themselves by carrying a large and most varied assortment 

 of artificial flies, of all shapes and colors, in order to meet 

 the "fastidious taste" of the fish, that often refuse one 

 pattern or color, and rise eagerly to another, which could 

 not be the fact were they so near-sighted as they believe. 

 The consistency of these anglers would be more apparent, 

 if. they would adopt Mr. Cholmondely Pennell's theory of 



