342
'
THE BIOLOGY OF FISHES
-
_
by comparison With the forces ranged against it and has to
reconcile opposing interests—in the different stages of a short
,
life, we can’well understand why adaptations are continually
_
;
imperfect. A gain in one" stage or direction is Counter—'
balànced by a loss in another. If the Pipe-shes, like “the
'
coral shes, can see their own images in their surroundings
and alter themselves accordingly, they have lost the power ”of
swimming boldly through the water retained bythe Herring
'
and Mackerel families, which have not developed an æsthetic
,
sense.
.
'
',
The æsthetic sense may be useful to shes—why should
_
_
it not be ?——but for many reasons we cannot suppose it to
have had a determining inuence on the survival of the
species, We may imagine, as many have done, that it
gives them some sort of protection when-they are not
:
playing about freely in the water, but we do not know that
they“ requir‘e any protection at— that time in‘ the inshore.
,
waters.
Such a hypothetical explanation obscures the main
'
interest in their proceedings, namely, that they select their
'Î
own surroundings.
"
«
_
Almost all shes, apart
the brutal Sharks and
,
Rays, are timorous, particularly the smaller kinds and those ’
.
that live in shallow waters.
We may admit that this}
timidity—is not merely a matter of nerves but is an acquired
.
Ï
habit like any other and is directed by intelligence. * But «1_
there are exceptions.
'
The little Stickleback fears nothing“
and the not much larger Shanny-ànd Buttery
'
"
bold as brass, whilst the ,‘Wrasses are mdre or less ihdifferent;
‘
.
The explanation of the difference Seems to be, that the Chief
'
eneryof the shallow—Water shes :—is not its neighbours Or
itsowh= kind,butï
The; inshore shes, like the
freshvÿatershes,avoid-theheatand glare of the sun, andtheir '
pigment is believed to be a protection against its rays. The
dierencesÏ in the behaVî0‘ur—bf - these shes .rnay thus depend
'
simply on the tlckness- of their—skins, 1
-
.
Another sign of intelligence: isfthe"
per=
'
sistence which sor‘rieShes‘display in their…pUrsuits.- “When
a Shark takes Up his poSiti0n in a particular bay, it might
'
'
THE BIOLOGY OF FISHES
-
_
by comparison With the forces ranged against it and has to
reconcile opposing interests—in the different stages of a short
,
life, we can’well understand why adaptations are continually
_
;
imperfect. A gain in one" stage or direction is Counter—'
balànced by a loss in another. If the Pipe-shes, like “the
'
coral shes, can see their own images in their surroundings
and alter themselves accordingly, they have lost the power ”of
swimming boldly through the water retained bythe Herring
'
and Mackerel families, which have not developed an æsthetic
,
sense.
.
'
',
The æsthetic sense may be useful to shes—why should
_
_
it not be ?——but for many reasons we cannot suppose it to
have had a determining inuence on the survival of the
species, We may imagine, as many have done, that it
gives them some sort of protection when-they are not
:
playing about freely in the water, but we do not know that
they“ requir‘e any protection at— that time in‘ the inshore.
,
waters.
Such a hypothetical explanation obscures the main
'
interest in their proceedings, namely, that they select their
'Î
own surroundings.
"
«
_
Almost all shes, apart
the brutal Sharks and
,
Rays, are timorous, particularly the smaller kinds and those ’
.
that live in shallow waters.
We may admit that this}
timidity—is not merely a matter of nerves but is an acquired
.
Ï
habit like any other and is directed by intelligence. * But «1_
there are exceptions.
'
The little Stickleback fears nothing“
and the not much larger Shanny-ànd Buttery
'
"
bold as brass, whilst the ,‘Wrasses are mdre or less ihdifferent;
‘
.
The explanation of the difference Seems to be, that the Chief
'
eneryof the shallow—Water shes :—is not its neighbours Or
itsowh= kind,butï
The; inshore shes, like the
freshvÿatershes,avoid-theheatand glare of the sun, andtheir '
pigment is believed to be a protection against its rays. The
dierencesÏ in the behaVî0‘ur—bf - these shes .rnay thus depend
'
simply on the tlckness- of their—skins, 1
-
.
Another sign of intelligence: isfthe"
per=
'
sistence which sor‘rieShes‘display in their…pUrsuits.- “When
a Shark takes Up his poSiti0n in a particular bay, it might
'