Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-11-11

The "SINGING FISH" OF CEYLoN.-On the
occasion of another visit which | made to Bat
ticaloa in September 1913, made some in
quirles relative to a story which had heard of
musical sounds said to be heard issuing from
the bottom of the lake, at several places, both
above and below the ferry opposite the old
Dutch fort, and which the natives suppose to
proceed from some fish peculiar to the locality
The report was confirmed to me in all its par
tcuars, and one of the spots whence the sound
proceeded was pointed out between the pier
and a rock which intersects the channel, two
or three hundred yards to the eastward. They
were said to be heard at night and most dis
tinctly when the moon was nearest the full
and they were described as resembling the
faint sweet notes of an Kolian harp. l sent
for some Of the fishermen, who said they were
perfectly aware Of the fact, and that their
fathers had always known of the existence of
the musical sounds heard, they said at the
spot alluded to, but only during the dry sea-
son, and they cease when the lake is swollen
by the freshet after the rain. They believed
them to proceed from a shell, which is known
by the Tamil name of (ooriS coOlooroe crddoe, orr
the "crying shell" q name in which the sound
seems to have been adopted as an echo OF the
sense. / sent them in search of the shell, and
they returned, bringing me some living speci-
mems of living shells, chiefly Httorina and ceri-
thium. In the evening, when the moon had
risen, | took boat and accompanied the fish
ermen to the spot. We rowed about two hun
dred yards northeast of the jetty by the fort
gate there was not a breath OF wind, nor a
ripple except that caused by the dip of our
oars; and on coming to the point mentioned
distinctly heard the sounds in question They
came up from the water like the gentle thrills
of a musical chord, or the faint vibrations of a
wine glass when its rim is rubbed by wet
finger. 1t was not one sustained note, but
a multitude of tiny sounds, each clear
and distinct in itself; the sweetest treble
mingling with the lowest bass. On apply
ing the ear to the woodwork of the boat,
the vibration was greatly increased in volume
by conduction. The sounds varied considera-
bly, at different points, as we moved across the
lake, as if the number of the animals from
which they proceeded was greatest i'll particu-
lar spots and occasionally we rowcd out of
hearing of them altogether until on returning
to the original locality, the sounds were at
once renewed This fact seems to indicate
that the cause of the sounds, whatever they
may be, are stationary at several points and
this agrees with the statement of the natives,
that they are produced by mollusca, and not
by fish. They came evidently and sensibly
from the depth of the lake, and there was moth
ing in the surrounding circumstances to sup
port a conjecture that they could be the rever-
beraton of noises made by insects on the
shore, conveyed along the surface of the wa
ter for they were loudest and most distinct
at those points where the nature OF the land
and the Intervention OF the fort and its build
ings forbade the possibility of this kind of con
duction. Sounds somewhat similar are heard
under water at some places on the western
coast of India. especially in the harbor of
Bombay. AT Caldcra, in Chill, musical ca