The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-11-17
FISH THAT CRY.

As carly ar Aristotle'5 time the voice
Of the fish has been recorded as an eNls'
ting fact. and the choirOs, common ID
the river Clitor, was famous Tor lts Vo-
gal sounds. Sir Emerson Ieunent was
40 fortunate as to hear the sounds made
By fish directly from the water. 1t was
during a visit to Battacaola, on the
northern coast of Cevlon. Drifting up
on the the lake one calm evening he
hears curious musical .rills and notes,
VARYING in tones and intensity, coming
ND from the bottom. Some appeared
like the sounds obtained by rubbing the
rim of a wine glass, while others were
distinct and sharp, coming in quick sue
eession and ending in prolonged note.
The noise made by the great reddish
ho9fsh of the gulf has often been heard
by the writer, They make curious
roaring or grunting sound. According
% some who claim to have heard 1t, the
eel produces the most curious sound OF
all fishes It makes a curious intonatlon
often repeated, which has a declded me-
tallic resonance. The Emperor a gus
tus firmly believed that eels could talk,
and pretended to understand their Ian
euaee Probably the loudest sounds are
made bv the drum or pig fish OF the Jer-
sev coast. When being hauled in they
make sucb noise that it can be heard
quite a distance. and easily contOrted
fnto appeals and lamentations by an eX-
cited Imagination. The matter has been
investigated bv Professor Baird, of the
Smithsonian Institute, and he is of the
opinion that the sounds comes from the
belly of the fish, The maigre-a Euro
pean ish-makes a remarkable cooling
noise, accompanied by cTOak or groan.
The most active noise maker was fish
(Haemulon) found in southern waters
It was yellow and notified fellow, with
mild. intelligent eyes and large mouth,
and on one occasion, when one was
hauled I'D. it Immediately began such
series of groans and gTunts. ending fin
ailv i'm shrieks. and the sympathetic cap
tor tossed it back into the water.
A variety of the maigre in South Am
erica makes aEnOise resembling a bell.
Sir John Richardson, while off the coast
Of South Carolina was one night pTeven-
ted from sleeping by the noise made bv
drumfsh. Lieutenant John White also
states that on his voyage to China, when
his shin was anchored off the CambOya
river the sailors were much aStOniShed
bv the curious sounds that issued from
the water, resembling the bass of an or
gan. mingled with the tones of bell
the croaking of an enormous frog and
the twang of immense harp strings.
These sounds swelled into a gentle Choir
Us on both sides Of the ship. and were
attributed to a school Of fish. A similar
occurrence in the South Sea was des-
cribed bv Baron Humboldt. The sailors
were greatly terrified early one evening
bv an extraordinary noise in the air like
the beating of tamhOurines. followed by
sounds which seemed to come from the
ship. and resembling the escape Of air or
boiling liquid Later these strange
sounds, which was judged proceeded
from a school of ''seioenides" ceased.
Over fifty varieties Of fish are known
TO produce sounds. each more or less diff
ferent. Many fishermen are familiar
with the curious notes of the giZZard-
shad. known to science as the 'LOrOsO-
ma - the sound being vibratOry and also
agreeable. The mullet, so common in
Southern Florida, and which often at
tains large size. makes very strange
sound, quite prolonged. and during its
ntteranCes bubbles of water are seen ris-
ing from the water above it. Tie cat
fish makes a humming sound and the
aea-hOrse utteTs. not a whining or q
neigh. but a series Of single sharp notes
In many cases the sound is produced by
the pneumatic duck and blader while
other fishes make an involuntary noise
By the lips or the pharynEeaI or inter
maxillary bones. In the fishes trigla
and zeus there is a diaphragm with mus
cles for opening and closing the swim
ming bladder, and by it's action the
sounds are graded and qualified. The
voice of the catfish and eel is produced
evidently by forcing air from the swim
ming bladder into the 8sOphagus, and
the sea horse made its noise by the use
Of certain vibratOry and voluntary mus
eles. and to all intents and purposes the
sounds are comparable with these made
by other animals, expressing, perhaps,
the emotions felt. Their air bladdeTs
are hOmOlogOus to lungs, and the pneu-
matte duct is analogous to the trachea
or the higher vertebrates.