The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-19
HAVE FISHES A LANGUAGE?
AIr. Seth Green NnFrating the Result OF Ills
Investigations.
RoCHEsrEp Eeh S

Messrs.. Seth Green, Robert B. Roose-
welt, and Hon. Richard u. Sherman. the
three State Commissioners of Fisheries,
were interviewed in Rochester recently,
after q vicit of inspection to the State
Fish Hatcherics at Caledonia, and Mr..
Roosevelt said:
Gentlemen, I can tell you that the
man ofthe future will have to under.
stand the language of beast, and birds,
and fishes"
To this Mr.. Seth Green added:
II know that trout hold conversations
just as regular as we do. How would
those trout out there in the Caledo ia
ponds know the difference between q long
plain stick and regular fishing rod, as
they do, If they didn't talk it over and
compare notes 2"
To-day The Sun correspondent visited
Mr. Green for more information, and
this question was asked:
Upon what observations of the habits
of fishes do you base your belief In an
intelligent fish dialect 2"
principally rpon my knowledge of
their forethougts, sagacity, memory, and
general intelligence" was Mr. Green's
answer. "Ip the first pond at Caledonia
there arc about 5000 brook trou:, each
OF which was taken from its native waters
with fly: We caught great many of
them easily, herausc they abonnded, and
seldom had been fishcd for in the wild,
remote lakes of the Adirondacks. b..
when. after they had taken tho fly. we
wonnd them slowly into our boats with
tho reel, they had good chance to see
the rod and the line, and understand
just how they came to be decoyed, caught,
and transferred. OF course, they lived
and kept healthy, for we put them in
fresh water tanks and took good care Of
them. But tell you they have memo
ries, and they never forget the exact
shape and appearance of the impIiments
that took them from their native waters.
Afler their transfer TO Caledonia, they
came to know me perfectly, for fed them
and every time came to the pond they
followed me around and kept as close to
me rs they could, without leaving the
water. OF course they displayed more life
and determination when had feed-p pan
in my hands, but they were always friend
ly when they knew that it was perfectly
safe 10 be 80. Frequently have taken
friends up to the pond with me to see
these pets, and to show how smart they
were. l would conceal fishing rod be-
hind my person for while. The trout
remained on just az friendly termsT as
ever, until I held that fishing rod out
over the water, whero they could see it
and the tackle. They recognized it in
rs there former enemy,
and got out of the way. Let me 20 along
there with clean stick and no tackle on
it, and they pay no attention to it. For
five years their memory has held out
perfectly in this respect. All the other
trout in the Caledonia ponds were Matched
there from spawn, and re they had not
any unpleasant experiences with fishing
rods or tackle thoy arc no more frighten.
cd when the impliments appear near
them than when the most friendly act is
for them. never refuse an anxious am.
6iciouss young man the privilege of cast
ing fly in the pond where the trans
planted trout live, for know that these
fish have had experience enough to look
out for themselves"
"But, Mr.. Green, because these fish
have memory You will hardly contend
that their intelligence reaches point
where language becomes necessity 7'
No, sir; but because they have a Sc
gacious intelligence-not snn Instinct
which teaches to profit by the fortunes
that befall the family of fishes. How
many men are there of whom the same
can be said with invariahle truth Talk
about natural sagacity; why, can point
you to striking instance of it, In r.
primitive form. among fishes as you ever
heard OF among men. In the winter of
lS4O | hunted deer and fished for salmon
trout in and around Bonaparte Lakes
just north Of Herkimer County In the
Adirondacks. I fished, putting down 100
hooks through holes in the ice about
oight rods apart. These hooks were bal.
ted with good.sized minnows, as full of
life rs though at liberty. Alter the lines
tad been down the first night took from
hem in the morning twenty-five good
Dig trout. Each successive morning Il
sot less and less, until on the eighth day
he number of trout taken had diminish
ID to seven or eight. But every bait was
yone from every hook. rs on The first
morning when made the big haul. /
snow the trout hadn't al! been taten
rom those waters, but it wns also appar-
ent couldn't catch any more without
my tackles So cut new holes
n the ice and moved down about n quar-
ar of n rn;Ia Tbora NV ~os,,I.. = dNu
- ~ac.,S .ha. a.so,,,o Sn.;. 10y lYsuats were IN
,eI - ,sns,a nS snG aSsS;, aSso 40 .ps n!s! ana
Dna dan Tso ran H I;nn ~ osten 1r eignt Gays.
j;reoison ro icy tha. @ my y hopAs In snch q
aras or ronl IIs S Sue VI .ne.l came right
v",ar @ % TdaSidGos G ~ tsl. was open
,;,S ih,a e9 Seoi. ~ My III experiment
&C .he a i;as o ~ -, i'ss.e.iea sne afper enc
r,,a = ,Io ,ne t,e, 10 az SSxelnaaging piece OF
.;sht,. ;h, ~ in:s hn;s nD.nin ceaia interfere
w. sne o.Sis pTIoy Sr Tith9gt making the