Effects of the addition of varying amounts of the thiosulfate-thiocyanate fixing agents to an active hydroquinone developer on the development-darkening and the fixation-etching of exposed sub-macro silver-bromide grains were observed under a microscope. The addition of the fixing agents to the developer led to an increase in the induction period for development-darkening and resulted in changes of the darkening-etching form of grains which may be classified into five patterns according to the amount of the agents. It is supposed that the fixing agents absorbed to the grain surface probably form a charge barrier to the attack by hydroquinone ion and at the same time play an important role in the development process of individual grains. The similarities and differences between the effects of thiosulfate and thiocyanate on the development-fixation process of the grains were described.