The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-03-29
SOME FISH STORIES.
About Fishes that Sing and EIshos that
Fight.

From tho New York Sun,
More thau ono hundred fishes arc
known to make noises, notes, musical
sounds, &c. Tho writer has noticed
these sounds IN number Of cases. es-
pcci"lly in tho fishes of the gems
hGmulom, found in the Gulf OF Mexico.
lhcy make Il sound that can be heard
one hundred feet distant, also q pur.
ring sound; and from this peculiar
habit the! arc known to the fishermen
oi the reef us ".ruHts," aud | shall
long remember my first acquaintance
with this iuimitablc marino grunlcr.
In hauling in my line to roplenish tho
bait. | found Il demure little fish OF a
EraNiSh golden color fast on the hook.
Not move did it make until touch
cd /. to dctach the hook, when, to nv
a!'"2rinrnl, ii hurled at me an ANA
tii'ilia ot sruntS, groanS and Suucuks
'lint aprralcd at once to my svlnpa-
thlrS, and took extra care in unhook.
llIg it. When in my hand in changed
the strain to Il more disconnected
TRADE. giving several quick notes in
sucCrSSlun. and then loud grun,. |
counted seven o. eight different modu.
l1H 'nS OF sounds, and W hen pressed
II the appeals (tOr So I was inclined to
take thrnO grew instantly Louder, aud
finally. completely dcmoral.zed |
tossed il over, and with Il gruul aud a
splas h it disappeared.
Aristotle mentionsu fish bv the name
~ cholros. orpir, as inhuhitin9 the
RiVer CIi,or, in the Mediterranean,
asd rs being one of the fishes that
nave the power of emitting sounds.
ON visit t" Bltlocaula. on the north
ast ct &c. lon, Sir E'nrr.on Trure"t
ncaru wonfc,f FIJI tales OF musical
sounds that wc'r alleged to issue from
the bottom nt the lake. and on the luke
In Il noat "n calm nigh; hr distinctly
heard, nc says, the sounds. They
came up from the VA ~ lihe the yrm-
tie thrills of Il musical chord. or the
flint vibrations ct II wi.!c"l.re when
Isr.ln IL rubbed b" wet Il ger. II
was not one >uS' aimed note. but amul.
tltudc uf tilh sounds. each clear and
ist;nci in itself.
IlIt hug fist. common in The GuIf,
m 'ke> Roaring kind rf mruut, and
r>is have Il peculiar musical note.
rot. Abt"tt say : thI; il is nIuyr per-
r.ly musical ilan u.:y sru!.i created
=. fishes. Ii is single iui,na;ion.
equ"ntly repeated, havihy slightly
lmc. allie resonance.
A MUSICAL CONCERT.
The sound 0fn bell, which is occa-
s,"ilally heard from the depths of the
Mrtti eli Ianean Sea. is attributed bv
some to the c0rvJ, " h. le others think
HAT shelly molluSks produce these
strange sounds. The sleeper in his
uerth is often startled bv tile peculiar
noises made bv the drum fish on our
own COASTS, and Sir john Richardson
says that lie was prevented from slcrp-
ING by the mise made by these fish
when off tie coast o. Cr,lina. Lieut..
} ':il " II &c MS says that on his v.,v-
are to ChiI", when his ship WAS all
G or"d at lnc mouth eff the RIVER
C;''nb"ya. hr sailors w'rc much as
t'nishrtl iy he curl, Il. sounds tlnt
sued tr"m tie VA CT, csc,nbling the
bass Of an o'9an, mingled with the
tn"cS OF bell, the crIakiug OF an cnor-
III us lr"g, ami the clang of Ill I'M
mrrsc harp. These sounds awellcd
iito gentle chorus on both sides of
he ship, and were attributed by the
Interpreter to II school of fish. Al
similar occurrence in the South Sen
was described by Baron Humboldt.
The Sailors were greatly terrified at
about O'Clock in The evening By All
extraordinary noise in the air. like the
beating of tambonrincs, followed bv
sounds which seemed to come from,
'he ship. and resembling the escape Of
air from boiling liquid. at o'clock
these strange sounds, which, it was
judged, proceeded from q school of
H"i0hoides. ceased. The gizzard shad.
known scientifically ns the Iorosouu,
nit"rs distinct vibratory whin NC
S,u!d. The mnlIct uttrrs n distinct
.'":", often quite prolonged, and ac-
r"nn,"ii,d q by Il discharge Of air bub-
!'rs. while the catfish. like its name
shk". "hums" unified series of
II ''r$. The notes uf the sea horse are
sim lar.
F.shc often find themselves in h
y "t'r. hnl one would hardly think
'hcA would willingly take up their
''""d' there; yet in the Savage mine
an i'mrn>c underground Reservoir
was stuck in which tic wafer showed
i e m!' r;''ulc of l2S degrees Fahrcn.
h"lE. a lmost scnlding lot. Numbers
"i 'l'lt>s|, bluod-retl fishes were found
~ iii; lake, and that it was their nat
urhi ritIHrnt was proved by the fact
ihlI they d:el Immediately when
i'!nrc'' in colder water. They were
30 general appearance similar to the
rHcicSS fish "i Mammoth Cave.
FIGHTING FISHES.
IN some countries fishes arc trained
{" iiGh! loI the amusement of their
ca. tors. Prominent among these is
lie rlncat OF Siam. 1t is Kept in lars.
aud icd with the larvn of MOSQUITOES.
..:N hen the fish," says wrt,r, care
in state of quiet and the fins at rest.
hr dull c"lurS p,rs,ni mu,hinr re,
ninrkablr. But If two are br,uuht
within sighl .! cnc! other, or if one
sees lis "Nn Image in a hooking glass,
'l.c lille cica!ulr becomes suddenly
exc ted. tie r"t>"d ii u! - y ':,lr
!, d\ >h'n WI. ut.ai .. cons g.,
H. in@ be ut!. W !, ,.a p.,.r..
!llI hrmbra:r, w"vi"g l.r Il ulnrh
trii' round the tirna'. nl,,> s,,m",hi,,.
gr":r>qnc t. the "tu,,nI up. .c:ra,lc,'
III MS state If ,,iG'Hfiru i. ,i.krs re-.
p""ttd darts u, is real ur ,ci;r,.,ob
Antagonist. But t'r fish. wlcn uut oi
"rl oilers sigh, instantly bcnpmn