The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-21
CAN FISH HEAR?

And interesting discussion has been
in progress in the Rochester papers on
the lOng-mooted question whether fish
have the sense of hearing Seth Green
the eminent pisciculturist, takes the neg
ative, and bases his conclusions on the
following statement
81 had pond at Caledonia about 100
feet long, fifteen feet wide, and four
feet deep, with a gentle current running
through just enough to keep the fish
moving their tails to retain their places.
[ had about 1900 large trout in it,
weighing from one to three and Il half
pounds. These fish would lie for hours
perfectly still, unless disturbed, ex-
cept the gentle motions of their fins to
keep them in place. [ stationed my
man, David Day, about half way up the
pond, had him lie fiat, face down, and
with his arms exteaded into the water.
He held a stone weighing six pounds in
each hand. [ then took my place on
top of the honse, the most convenient
place to see, and, lying down, waited
until the fish took their accustomed
places. After that l called to David to
knock the stones. together David
knocked and knocked, and not fish
made motion, except the slight move
menG continually Kept up.
after the above experiment, took
my gun and fired it repeatedly near the
pond as I could and not have the trout
see the flash. No one stirred Then I
took long plank, and standing back
away from the pond, [ slapped it down
upon the ground, and they would make
a quick start. This was because of the
jar, and that is the only way fish hear "
Mr.. \. B. IIamberton, the person
with whom llr, Green joins issues,
cites Cuvier, WHO says ''It is proba-
bic that fishes hear that noises produce
i'll them strong sensation, but that
they cannot distinguish either the in
finite variety of tones or those articulate
sounds with which quadrupeds and
birds ar"oar 20 be so wildly struck -
And Professor Cope, in describing the
habits of the blind fishes of Wyandotte
Gave, says: "They are unconscious of
the presence of an enemy except through
the sense of hearing. This sense is,
however, evidently very acute, for at
any noise they turn suddenly down.
ward, and hide beneath stones" Mr..
Lamberton further argues that the pos
session of ear implies the sense of hear
ing.
Some further observations on this
subject we add from other writer's, with
the remark that the evidence, though
conflicting, rather favors the theory that
fish can hear. The American Cyclo-
pedia," speaking of fishes, says |The
ear is almost entirely within the era
MUM. There is rarely anything that
can be called an external ear Loud,
sudden, and strange sounds frighten
fish. They have been taught
to come and receive food at the tinkle
of a bell or the pronunciation of pet
Names"
Good old Izaak Walton, in his "Com-
plete Angler, says that fish hear and
smell both in the night and daytime.
He quotes Sir Francis Bacon as author
ity for this statement, and begs pardon
for doubling al assertion of a friend
''that he knew carps come to a certain
place in a pond to be fed at the ringing
of bell or the beating of a drum.
He adds 'It shall be a rule for me
to make as little noise as I can when l
am fishing, until Sir Francis Bacon be
confuted, which I shall give any man
leave to do" Walton and his editors
alike cite several instances of fishes re-
spending to their names when they are
called. Livingstone Stone, in his book
on "Domesticated Trout, refers to the
contradictory statements on this subject,
and says: 81 will not say that trout
cannot hear, but they are not frightened
at noises, however loud, nor do they
pay the slightest attention to them"
Genio Scott says: "Fishes hear of
this 1 feel quite sure"
And so We leave the matter to the ex-
perts and the anatomists.