The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-25
Singular Discovery by Prof. A. E. YER
rill, the Famous ZO0lOsiSt.
MARVELS SEEN IN AN AQUARIUM.
by the Fierce Glare OF AN Electric Light
the Scientist Views Sight Strange
toHuman Iyes-A Tank Fill
ed with Wonders.

| Prof. Nerrilrs ability and reputation. are
OF the most absorbing interest 10 the
| public in general. for they reveal accom-
/ plishments that few n any laymen knew
/ fish possessed The scientists inyestiga-
/ lions were principally conducted At night
/ by the aid Of electric light, his obserya-
lions being confined TO the inhabitants
I Of an aquarium, comprising u collection
| which included a large variety Of those
! fish with which We are familiar, all OF
/ us. besides number Of strange cTea-
/ lures not at all unusual so far as 'heir
| existence is concerned, but infrequent
| candidates for public attention.
The time Of observation was generally
/ between the hours OF midnight nd 2
/ o'clock A. ~. and Prof. Yerrill was al
ways alone. The lights were so arranged
that while sufficiently bright 10 enable
| the investigator 10 see clearly through
/ the water in the tank, enabling I'm 10
distinguish without difficulty 9Nlctly
what the FISH looked Ike, II was not suii-
/ GENTLY bright TO cause the fish 20 swim
/ about. 1t WAS the Professor desire 10
/ observe the fish while as quiet as fossil
| BILE. the quieter the better.
The conditions mentioned were Tire Chly
| ones by which this could be ACCOMPLISH
ed. \ sudden jar Of the floor or an w
/ expected movement Of any kind would
set the nnny prisoners in motion, So Lcen
SIS their sense Of sound, so alert are -hey
to detect the presence Of even tho slight
est thing that may mean danger. How
ever. Prof. Nerrill succeeded I'm observing
the appearance of many fish while asleep.
for not only did he thus discover curious
color changes, but learned that they Dm-
bered in the strangest attitudes.
As 10 FOUNDERS.
Thoroughly familiar with the appear
IL.
very easy for Prof. Verrll to detect the
changes that had transpired during the
! time which had elapsed since daylight
| faded away. Particularly noticeable was
the change in the color and markings of
1 the founders. These fish. as all anglers
/ know, lie upon the bed of the ocean. and
nature has kindly colOred them so that
il IS exceedingly difficult TO distinguish
them from the ground on which they iic.
/ There are several of the large fish hat
consider founders n particular dainty,
and if il were not for the fact that the
/ founder and the oceans bed are about
the same color. IL is more than likely
/ that the founder would be an exceedingly
rare fish
The specimens of this variety Of :sh IN
| the aquarium were noticed by Prof. ttr-
/ rill 10 have become spotted and mHt-td
/ i'm what seemed to be dark pigm mt, the
/ strong resemblance to the ground color
| was lost entirely and their markings
stood out as wildly almost as do those or
the fresh water perch. IL was also ro-
I ticed that several species Of mll12Ws.
which i'm the day time seemed to be here
~ of a dark almost blaciish color were
I Nv night marked by either longitudinal or
transverse bands of much deeper color
than that which characterized the tiny
fish by day light. This statement also
| holds good of the king fish. whose dark
stripes traverse 1t Obliqucly. Then there
/ was the black sea bass and that peculiar
| looking fish known as the sea robin.
/ which exhibited changes very Ike mo
those mentioned. II was also noticed mat
number of specimens Of trout that were
fairly light colored I'm the day time grew
10 be almost black at night
IL must be thoroughly understood trat
the light given by the electricity M rot
I'm any way cause the colors OF the fsh
TO change Prof Verrill had this lisEt so
shine as TO produce the effect. so iac as
| accurately DISTINGUISHING the cclors Is
| concerned as II he had been gazing ~
the aquarium in broad day light lf
this were not vouchcd for by 50 thor
oughly reliable an authority MS -he in
vestigator. the cynical Zooogist WoCld
be very apt 10 question the statement.
! Coming from Prof. Ncrrill. howe F-r as
these facts do, they are beyond question
other fish than those mentioned show
infinitely more remarkable changes. rake
the soup or, as IL is often termed, the
porgy. This fish is usually Of a silvefy
color. bright and teeming with delicaiely
irdoscont tints. IL reminds one OF The
beautifully colored fish one sees o. the
tropical streams and i'm the occtn Of
certain portions Of the South American
continent and the islands that dot q
sea i'm the vicinity of the Torrid /'Le.
II is. I'm fact. one OF the most beautifLl
fish that swim ln northern waters. Yet
when 10 sleeps i'm the night time u be
comes Of "a dull bronze brown color. o. d
Is marked by transverse black bands. 10
is difficult to imagine % greater change IN
appearance SO far as color IS concern
cd. one would not know IL was the same
fish at all.
I'm connection with this fact, it was
strange in the extreme 10 observe the
awakening Of this fish and its results.
To test this fact Prof Nerrill suddenly
turned ON the light with greater force.
I'm the twinkling OF an eye the porsy re-
sumed its daylight appearance. me
power 10 make this change IN color is
really a very great protection 90 the
porgy. which rests great snare OF lhe
time i'm the eel grass and sea w"ei tfat
cover portions of the oceans ltd Ma
turallv there is "a difference IN the APP
pearance IN this growth Of 0atire otr-
ing the day and at night, and the I'rsy
changes color accordingly.
Another fish whose color pattern
changes at night very greatly is that dis
agreeable looking creature known as inc
file fish. Under ordinary circumstances
il is of blackish color. spotted with brown
and olive green patches. Both fins and
-
file sleeps. 10 turns almost white I'm color.
although fins and tail become as black
as Jet. The file sleeps on the bed OF the
ocean. leaning up against something, for
all the world like the man without
home. Inasmuch as the file lives among
the rocks and weeds. its changeable color
enables it to frequently be practically
invisible.
MR.. CLEVELAND'S FANORlTE.
President Cleveund's favorite catch.
the tautog. Is dark on one side and light
colorcd on the other. When il goes TO
sleep on its side, for it slumbers lying as
a fish on a marble slab in the market
the color Of the exposed side becomes 50
dark as TO make II practically undistin-
a,uisnable from the ground on which it is
sleeping. The squid. the monster that Is
dreaded and hated alike by the real and
the amateur fisherman, sleeps resting on
the tip of its tail and the basic portion
of those deadly arms that wind about its
victim and drag him to one of the most
frightfu OF deaths. In color the squd ia
darker when asleep, and its ugly spots
show with remarkable distinctness. Its
peculiar position when sleeping IS evil
IDENTIFY TO give the monster breathing
room. for It's head and the anterior por-
ton of its body are raised from the
ground