The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-08-19
Che 9atlg 8nlletin.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1881.
A QUEER FISH.

TAUGHT TO JUMP OVER A HURDLE
AND LEAP Our OF THE WATER.
eff you want to see spots, said
lover of animals, "watch that cat"
The animal had stationed herself in
the library door, and was looking
intently in the room. In few mo-
ments she began to walk slowly to-
ward large aquarium that stood in
the window, and with light leap
mounted the narrow edge, balancing
herself over the water. Next she
leaned down, thrust her red tongue
into the miniature lake, and began
tapping the cooling water. Then
came a rush, and a bright speckled
object darted. A splash, clicking,
sucking sound, and wall of feline
anguish rose on the air. There was
a second of wavcring, and a round
bunch of hair fell into the water with
sounding splash, scrambled out
again, and disappeared through the
door amid the laughter of the wit
nesses.
"That," said the host, "happens
about every day, with only slight
variations. You see, the fish,
sunfsh, is perfectly tame-trained
in fact, to rise to my hand and take
its food from me by leaping several
inches out of the water. Being con-
tinually leased the fish has acquired
an irritable temper, has and attacks
everything that approaches the water.
Some time ago the cat discovered
the fish and leaped upon the tank as
you have seen her do, putting her
head down to the water. The mo-
ment her whiskers touched it the
sunfsh had her, and hung on like
good one. She started back and
fell to the floor, the fish dropping
back. The next day she again made
the attempt, and in balancing upon
the side of the narrow rim her tail
touched the water. The fish seized
it and in she went, but she never
seems to learn. just now the fish
mistook her tongue for the meat |
feed it with and nipped it well. You
know it is sometimes said that fish
cannot see what is doing on out of
water; this fellow is an exception,
however. Watch it now.'
The speaker took small piece of
cloth and held it over the tank and
within three feet of the water. In a
moment the sharp-eyed and richly
hued fish was at the surface. The
rag was then lowered and The prisoner
leaped clear of its native element in
its endeavors to reach 1t. The eX-
perimentalist next placed his hands
in the water, and the fish darted at
them and passed through his fingers,
allowing itself to be touched without
the slightest sign of fear,
''The sunfishes," said the fish
trainer, "are, | think, the most in
telligent of all our fresh water fishes.
train them to perform extraordinary
feats, such as jumping over hurdle
on the surface of the water, and then
over series of them. You often
see fishes in nature doing the same
thing. | have trained my suntishes
so that it rings bell Suspended
over the aquarium, but, like, Bar
NUNS clown elephant, it rings it
continually unless supply of food
is kept up. The sunfish has its likes
and dislikes. and it has two fast
friends in pair of catfshes. Some
time ago / introduced number of
gold fishes. and all but one were
accepted in good fellowship. To-
ward this one unfortunate, that was
one of the triple-tailed japanese
fishes, the sunfish showed the great
est aversion, spending the entire
time in chasing it around the tank,
biting in the most savage manner,
and, seemingly, urging on the cat
fishes, who, though they would not
touch the other fishes, would creep
slyly up to the victim and, Selling a
fin, cling to it with ferocity. | was
obliged to take the poor fish out and
place it in an adjoining tank, where
the very sight of it still enraged the
suntish, and yet, as l said before,
towards the Americans it was per-
fectly friendly New York Sun.