The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-23
A Queer Fish.

"If you want to see sport" said a
lover of animals, watch tat cat "
The animal had stationed herself in the
library door, and was looking intently
in the room. In q few moments she
began to walk slowly toward 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 rush, and a bright speckled OBJ
ject darted. A splash, a clicking, suck
ing sound, and q wall Of feline anguish
rose on the air. There was q second of
waverlng. and round bunch of hair
fell into the water with sounding
splash scrambled out again. and dis
appeared through the door amid the
laughter of the witnesses.
.s1hat." said the host, "happens about
every day. with only slight variations.
You see, the fish, sunfsh, il ,,erfectly
tame trained, in fact. to rise to my
hand and take its food from me by leap
ing several inches out of the water.
Being continually teased the fish has ac-
quired an irritable temper, 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 moment her whiskers
touched it the suntish had her, and hung
on like q good one. She started back
and fell to the floor, the fish dropping
back The next day she again made
he tempt, 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 1t is sometimes said
that fish can not see what is going 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 q
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 en-.
deavors to reach it. The experimental.
list 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.
1.-The sunfishes," said the fish trainer,
'are, think, the most intelligent 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 q series OF
them. You often see fishes in nature
doing the same thing. l have trained
my slnfish so that it rings . bell sus-
pended over the aquarium, but, like
/ Barnum's clown elephant it rings it
continually unless su ply of food is
kept up. The sunfish has its likes and
dislikes, aid it has two fast friends in a
pair of catfishes. Some time ago in
! troduced nun Der of gold fishes, and
all but one were accepted in good fel
lowship. Toward this one unfortunate,
that was one of the triple-tailed Japan
csc fishes. the sun sh showed the great
est aversion, spending the entire time
in chasing it around the tank, biting il
} in the most savage manner, and, SEEM
ingly, urging ON the cat shes, who,
though they would not touch the other
fishes. would creep slyly up to the VIC
tim and, selzing a fin, cling to it with
ferocity. Twas obliged to take the
poor fish out and place it in an ali oln-
ing tank. where the very 81 hit of it still
enraged the sun sh, and yet. as l said
beiore. toward the Ameri a it was
per ectly friendly. " ]. Sun.
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