350
THE BIOLOGY OF“ FISHES
horizontal position near the surface, but so that no part of the
body reaches above.
,
Remaining for a moment quite still,
it xesits eyes on an insect—taking aim—and then through
the closed mouth, which is directed upwards natural—ly,
small quantity, just a drop, of water ina direct line
,
and with considerable force and rapidity right at the object,
.
and seldom misses.”
,
'
'
An observer, Meissen, has watched the proceedings of
the _]aculator- in the open.
Like an experienced hunter it
.
never gets too
its” booty but
“
measures
”
the distance.
When an unsuspecting y alights on a water—plant, perhaps
a foot above the water, the Shooter glides quietly along into
position, aims for a moment then res—a spring forward
like a greyhound’s and the insect is gone;
,
'
_
The same observer, according to Brehm, has kept the
]acülator in an aquarium. At rst, the sh was exceedi'ngly
.
shy and hid itself among the vegetation near the surface}
but after a few days it got over this fear, and then Meisse
_
made the interesting observation, that it
able to dis—
tinguish between him, its keeper, and strangers. One day
an ant crept up outside the glass tank and two ]acula—t0fS
red at it in turns—naturally without result. But they
.
»
,
seemed to gather very soon how useless the
'
—
and turned to their keeper, as if to indicate
_
He captured a y and“placed it about
the water on a piece of gràss and retired a little. ’The
‘ywas at once _attacked from two «sides and soon«dièapë
’
_
,
,In the, course of a few weeks, the=.]aculators had be‘coine
'
so tame that… they would
anything from…the. hand of
.
their keeper,
ve {inches above the water;
Theftheya,;ja1sogç
th strain—gers . Sandi
…
_
deve10p_ed
gaté?whÏ them ;ÏïTheîfrst case
eye; :Bùt ..
aftetwards.Êï3ÇËîÈçd ' on
.nOSe,-;earS»_ and Ï ‘lips, =and
it©îî©allÿÿfmm
sporting lov‘è.0f
Ê. .
,
the? thing. —__ “ With:
certainty and -’°Çel‘erity
gh‘ had
çan:be=jüd,ged
even—When
_
THE BIOLOGY OF“ FISHES
horizontal position near the surface, but so that no part of the
body reaches above.
,
Remaining for a moment quite still,
it xesits eyes on an insect—taking aim—and then through
the closed mouth, which is directed upwards natural—ly,
small quantity, just a drop, of water ina direct line
,
and with considerable force and rapidity right at the object,
.
and seldom misses.”
,
'
'
An observer, Meissen, has watched the proceedings of
the _]aculator- in the open.
Like an experienced hunter it
.
never gets too
its” booty but
“
measures
”
the distance.
When an unsuspecting y alights on a water—plant, perhaps
a foot above the water, the Shooter glides quietly along into
position, aims for a moment then res—a spring forward
like a greyhound’s and the insect is gone;
,
'
_
The same observer, according to Brehm, has kept the
]acülator in an aquarium. At rst, the sh was exceedi'ngly
.
shy and hid itself among the vegetation near the surface}
but after a few days it got over this fear, and then Meisse
_
made the interesting observation, that it
able to dis—
tinguish between him, its keeper, and strangers. One day
an ant crept up outside the glass tank and two ]acula—t0fS
red at it in turns—naturally without result. But they
.
»
,
seemed to gather very soon how useless the
'
—
and turned to their keeper, as if to indicate
_
He captured a y and“placed it about
the water on a piece of gràss and retired a little. ’The
‘ywas at once _attacked from two «sides and soon«dièapë
’
_
,
,In the, course of a few weeks, the=.]aculators had be‘coine
'
so tame that… they would
anything from…the. hand of
.
their keeper,
ve {inches above the water;
Theftheya,;ja1sogç
th strain—gers . Sandi
…
_
deve10p_ed
gaté?whÏ them ;ÏïTheîfrst case
eye; :Bùt ..
aftetwards.Êï3ÇËîÈçd ' on
.nOSe,-;earS»_ and Ï ‘lips, =and
it©îî©allÿÿfmm
sporting lov‘è.0f
Ê. .
,
the? thing. —__ “ With:
certainty and -’°Çel‘erity
gh‘ had
çan:be=jüd,ged
even—When
_