, 1877-03-10

that various species Ul GtlIes 10 possess tho
rtitltnchts Of voice, and ttat certain OF ttlcsn
arc capable Of producing sounds of suel, scso-
nancc and continuity Us to give them kon.o
hatiow Of right to the name Of musical fishes.
III. Abbutt Inns founded, upon Ills observations
of tile inmates OF the aquarium hs we'll Ms tlpn,
tho Inhabitants of FREQ waters, tho opinion that
the hshcs endowed With voIco uzc tho gift a.
birds do, expressly IN the pairing season, and
for tho uttesancc OF the Instinct Of love.
as ln tho feathcrcd tribes VIC fln,l tic best
singers among tho auftcst-colorcL birds, NO with
the fishes; Or. Abhott discovers tic traces OF
voice III those species whicl, aro most sohcsly
tinted. To illustrate this idca witt, clcarncss,
he eas ranged tic sixteen species of ils! whicl,
lse las cspcrdatly studied in two tables, whics,
aro ferc rcproduccl:
brilliant cotor. 'A'Ah bru !; ar s,tr>,y.
Yellow tsrgca Spiuelee. perch.
E0ElNlnh atint1th, Mud aunHsA
Handed suntsh, t,Ezatd ehatf,
hed'an. Mulfet,
t'atdsh,
l.ampguy.
Summoned rato, ponjn 11nlE II i,,s>;.,
sp,nsisss pesel,, ''' yeliaw iiS,eMsri rerch,
Nlu,l sundah Common suufsf.
tltzxatl Bh1d, I:ctl.tnllcll fuMGsb.
Ainllct, Handed aun1th,
eea@ais5s'' ea!ass. N{Sasi {;Sass.
Ee'. lle1snH,
I,'ilaI.,. Ih,xSI
Tic club (stnotaxs corJoralh) emtts a czunt.
ing noise whes, talscn from tue water; but, as
Dr. Abbott has not detected these sounds under
any other circumstances, he concludes that the
fish nsay not llaye the faculty nf voluntarily
producing taiem 11lu mud sunCstl (Aeaal,a.
rt"s lonnti') is highly colores, a,ul yct uutlcnl
BY hos the gtft Of voice. Sucl, exceptions to
tho rule that voice and ll!eh colQratIon do not
gu together nrc regarded by Dr. Abbott rs er,.
dcnccs Of gradual chango III thu characteristics
0l tsl!cs, which is tho natural result Ut cyplu-
tI0n.
Tic specrs which have brilliant t[uts are
active through tl!c day, wttcu tho play OF their
attractive colots y visible; hut the fishes which
In llabit. The common nuntEsll (i'o,.vtis rul-
1arts), which t!cpctIls upon Its DrIgl,ly-paintel
cont to serl1re him ,lIate, cullcs out trum tho
desp M Matcr = Ut tho approarli ot spring, mud,
wins q companion bcforc tho eul IL
Mas; "nut thu rourtship of this gaudy
ilsl,." writes Dr. Ah!'ott, has becn no casy.
haye, like lin, strreIl to clear the field of every
rival; ahu the clear Wascrs aro often turlil with
sand md grass turn from the bct OF thu stream,
as tho older inacs chase each other fruln polut
rob cacll othur of d In. No c,urtstlp-batt1cs
htnotiE trlls aro nnrc earnestly fought; aud. Us
tc bird with bctlragEleu feathers ts wise cnuuEI,
TO withdraw is1''l tug contest md quietly secl;
stared, 20 t!.e HusItlsl. with anglcl ,ins rctEres
from thu nestinggtnunds. But nut u sound
Ina bccn 1Iale by ttscsu ezclt.sl fishes, except
tint t q H.. ths rug x ,gG watsr WIZ" 1s" sut tsr
surface. Meier, when for moment quiet, hAyB
VIC CHANGED to see tho delicate cbair, Of slyery
bubbles that escape frun tie gauutt of the bass
fmna ;;,pna''> When, shall VIC say, calling to tts
On tho other hanl, the atlah (.tn.ri,rus iy.7)
IL qulet tlIrtIugll tho day, nakugiln movements
which arc mt directed IL the search for foul,
After sunset, however. tile cattsll ecut,lcs sud-
numbers eolgrcgate together IT, SONIC limited
both rar a,'l eyc. my careful. patient waiting,
wo may hear, even fTUm the deeper waters, i
~ ,noet people would 10 referred tu t.Io Insect
ptrttng the true origin Of this gentle murnllr,
We can, without aarin'ng tho asl,, oat our boat
lind tlal scores OF clias1,s VI lttle air.hubblus
ore rising to tlle surface; and, III the sound
increases Or dies away, IN prntMrtlon to tllu
as'n1alaneo or abseneo 1f thy bubbles, It Is safe
tarliy expcllng the air from thclr Lolies, rro.
duce tho nlnruurs w have mentioned. tut,
~ 1ao "'l"a''o'' y! ~ al9 VIC ssaSc Foil'
''iSea T%s sntnc,cs. nerc,,. m ..,,,r,.o, ,...
,fot,s., Ira,a.,e '..n,.,,no , VI ,paten t.iMro.
i"r"r.t ,sn4s s't ~. ~ tne iaalet, y at
AifS,tt i. n},nnst M. % ~, ssnsa io'si ~ -.
H. ",,,xi'r ~ T. 9. atst suuhu Atfothpanics
t"vo3as ~ thc ..,,', .tas ~ ana LINZ 1.io
s1i.s' ~; snsaoaa etxuans2 Mttcrs very
,,n,". ".,sg a "'s, tsos uMtsk1 ti!e uSepcs
rh.ss, =. ,.,,.s I'M. e.ns ~ =" xho!!an haff,
.ost, snoss VIII IL na{ H4So nottea, ~ tlaies, the
tnusatane tntat tMat srsses from to w'.al t'ass.
TX hnes uses % naoe! ~ .s'sf san!-Mtes, w! lasu
Wa'.s.|s ssa'Ns ~ uea5 MeAt!sai." lhe hulltt