The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-12-04
LIFE UNDER THE SEA.


A Naturalist Watching Fishes I'm Their
Own EIement-The Domestic Life of
the DenIZens Of the Ocean-TheIr
sports and Habits - PhotOsrapI.s
Taken Under Water-FIshes That
Walk on Land.
81 have taken up diving to study the
habits of some animals under water, y
said an enthusiastic man to an En-
Qairer reporter. 81 have made fishes
rather speciality, and for number of
years l have used boat with glass
bottom. ] bought small sloop that
had well in her to hold fish. took out
the bottom and inserted several panes
of heavy glass, and there had per-
feet window in the bottom of the boat,
SO that even in the toughest weather {
could lie and look down through it.
and see the smallest objects on the bot
tom, and so make my collections. But
this only made me eager to get a
nearer view, and so began to think of
the divers armor. l bought this and
had the helmet altered so that I could
see perfectly well, and as I was not go :
ing to visit any wrecks there was no
danger of breakage and was perfectly
safe. made my first experiment on
the Florida reef.
''One of the most remarkable features
OF this life under water is the fact that
the fishes were not st all afraid of me,
but swan about when I did not move,
evidently taking me for an old wreck.
When raised my arm they would dart
away Tor few moments and then sud-
denly return. They were as curious
assome people, their great eyes staring,
ever open, presenting oftentimes lu-
dicrous spectacle. | have had fishes
rub up against my armor, as YOU often
see them against the bottom, probably
to rid themselves of some obnoxious
parasite. The way made my obser-
yations of fish and their movements
was to recline upon the bottom among
the coral and have supply of cray-fsh
bait that they are very fond of, and in
this way | often had a perfect school of
nsh lowering over me, and so could OBJ
serve their every movement. Did YOU
ever watch fish in the water? Take
the common suntish. As it poises in
midwater yoI will see the side or pee
toral fins moving in a kind OF side mo-
ton, just the same movement
that you intuitively try to make
with your hands when you try
to tread water or keep yourself mo-
tlonless; in short, the pectoral fins are
the arms of the fish, its fore limbs. In
the tying-tish the arm-tins are wings:
IN some OF the sculpins there are regu-
lar fingers by which the fish craWls
over the bottom; in the Periapthaimus
they are used to walk on dry land. In
observations of this kind, continued
the speaker. you notice things that can
not even be seen in good aquarium,
as there the fish are under certain re-
straint. While have been lying low.
literally, with all these fishes hoyeripo
over me, have seen performances that
were exactly akin to onr games and
sports When a lot of youno fishes
were about they were continually en-
gagged in games of chase. Now one
would dart, and, followed by half a
dozen others, the pursued dodging here
and there behind bits of coral until
some other fish in turn seemed to at
tract attention, and the entire crowd
would rush pell-mel after it. One day
l saw two fishes, called smelts, an
proach each other in solemn way.
open thelrmouths as wide as possible
uhtil their lips met. Then they would
slowly draw or back off and then re-
peat the operation. You may call it
what You like, but judging from our
standpoint | assumed they were kiss
ing each other. They We're certainly
not hghting, as | repeatedly saw en-
counters, and they were always char
ascterlzed by rapidity of motion and
aispiay OF temper natural to the ocea-
One of the most remarkable SIGHTS
mat | observed" continued the
:. 4,.1nsteur diver, were the coral beds.
rom q boat they present nothing un-
asual-a brown mass of pointed stems
y branches; but one day | had the
uoat placed on the edge of a channel. |
aau gradually walked down intoit until /
: sttainec the bottom, in about thirtv- I
nse OF forty feet of water, and | tell
sou : the scene was impressive. / seemed
s = PC IN the streets of a city. The
p9etom upon which | stood was a nnre
sani, rni.e sand, hard and firm and por-
rn.. ,~s.al lree OF coral; but on either side |
.s'ss sess : perpendicular wall Of the branch
esa nearly forty feet high, ell the