The Penn's Grove record., 1882-09-02
Fishes that Groan and Cry.
Some Of the Strange Sounds Made by Finny
penizans of the d. ep.

So-aint 1t, Aleck 2"
"Sartin, sartin," came from the cor
ner.
II know that some fishes make
noises, whether they tslk,or not" the
writer replied ; "but what sort of noises
, do whales make?o
WELL" continued the old man,
you've hearn the noise a hen makes
on q hot day when she's fed up and
got a nest started on the sly. 1t haint
a cluck nor a cackle, but it's q kind o.
conscience-free song. Wall, q whale
makes that same kind of a noise when
she's got her kind alongside, only it's
much louder. Now, black fish, when
they're a-runnin', make q noise that
sounds est like a groan, and you'll see
the dam a-runnin' about the calves
and tryin' to care for 'em jest like a
COW, all the time a maxim groans, and
the young ones a s~quealin' jest the
same as q pig"
Being pressed for his opinion as to
whether fish talk or not, the writer
who had male a study of natural his
tory, was able to crafty the old fisher.
man with the statement that he was
correct as to their making a noise As
early as Aristotle's time the voice of
The fish had been recorded as an exist
ing fact, and the choirOs, common in
the River Clitor, was famous for it's
vocal sounds. Sir Emerson Tennent
was so fortunate rs u hear the sounds
made by fish iirectly from the water,
1t was during q visit to B~attacaola,
on the northern coast of Ceylon.
Drifting upon the lake one calm even
ing, he heard curious musical trills
and notes, varying IN tone aud inteu-
sity, coming up from the bottom.
Some appeared like the sounds ob.
tanned by rubbing the rim of a wine
glass; while others were distant and
sharp, coming is quick succession and
ending In a prolonged note. The noise
mad by the great reddish hogfsh of
the Gulf has often been heard by the
writer. They make a curious roaring
or grunting sound. According To ONE
VINO claim to have heard it, the eel
produces the most musical sound of
all fishes. 1t makes a single intona-
ton, often repeated, which has q de
cided metallic resonance. The EN-
peror Augustus firmly believed that
cells or murrays could talk, and pre-
tended to understand their language.
Probably the loudest sounds are made
by the drum or pigfish of the Jersey
coast. When being hauled In they
make such q noise that it can he heard
quite a distance, and it is easily con-
torted into appeals and lamentations
by an excited imagination. The mat
ter has been investigated by Professor
Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution,
and he is of the opinion that the sounds
come from the belly of the fish. The
maigre-a European fish-makes a
remarkable cooling noise. accompanied
by a croak or groan. The most active
noise ma r was a fish tHaemulon)
found in Southern waters. 1t was a
yellow and notified fellow, with mild,
intelligent eyes and large mouth, and
on one occasion when one was hauled
up it Immediately began such 3 series
of groans and grunts, ending finally in
shriebs, that the sympathetic captor
tossed it back into the water. A vari-
ETY. of the maigre in S,uth America
makes a noise resembling a bell. Sir
John Richardson, while off the coast
of South Carolina, was one night pre-
vented from sleeping by the noise
made by drumfish. lieutenant John
White also states that on his voyage to
China, when his ship was anchored at
the mouth of the Capboya River, the
aiIors were much astonished by the
| curious sounds that issued from the
water, resembling the bass of an organ,
mingled with the tones of a bell, the
croaking of an enormous frog and the
twsng of immense harp strings. These
sounds swelled into a gentle chorus
| on both sides of the ship, and were at
| tributed TO a school of fish. A similar
| occurrence In the South Sea was de-
scribed by Baron Humboldt. The
sailors were greatly terrified one even
ing by an ex rsordinary noise in the
air, like the beating of tambourines.
followed by sounds which seemed to
come from the ship, and resembling
the escape of air from boiling liquid
Later these strange sounds, which 1t
was jndged preceded from a school of
"seloenoides," ceased.
Over fifty varieties OF fish are known
to produce sounds, each more or less
different. Many fishermen are famil-
lar with the curious note of the gizzard
sh I'd, known to science as the "loroso-
MAJ the sound being vibratory and
agreeable. The mullet, so common in
Soulher Florida, and which often at
tains u large size, makes q strange
sound quite prolonged, and during its
utterance bubbles of water are seen
arising rom the water above il. The
catfish makes a humming sound, and
the sea-horss utters, not a whinny or
neigh, but a series Of single sharp
notes. In many cases the sound is
produced by the pneumatic duct and
winning bladder; while other fishes
make an involuntary noise by the lips
or the pharyngeal or intermediary
bones. In the fishes trigla and zeus
there is a diaphragm with muscles fer
opening aud closing the swimming
bladder, and by its action the sounds
are graded and qualified. The voice
of the catfish and eel is produced evil
IDENTIFY by forcing air from the swim.
ming bladder into the esophagus, and
the sea-horse makes its noise by the
use of certain vibratory voluntary
muscles, and TO all intents and pur.
poses the sounds are comparable with
those made by other animals express
ing, perhaps, the emotions felt. Their
air bl ladders are hOmologous to lungs.
and the pneumatic duct is analogous
- the froahaa of tho hiuhaF yafta-