Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-01-05
FISH OUT OF WATER.
Some Remarkable Members of the Family
climbing Trees and Walking ON Land

some kemarkahle Members of the Famil
Swiss Cross
Many kinds of fish build nests in th
water Tor the protection OF their eggs
but the doras make theirs upon the beach
This they do at the beginning of III,
rainy season. The rest is formed yer,
nearly like that OF p bird aud is built %
dry leaves, which the little creature poe
inland to fetch. When it is finished IN,
eggs are deposited within. and thes,
small hsh-parents cover up their embryo
offspring most carefully aud watch over
them with great solioitude. The common
eel Is known to have similar habit of
moving about on the land, and will even
i've several days out of the water. When
an eel is drawn from the water and laid
upon the earth il at once puffs out its
cheeks in very noticeable manner
These cheeks are formed OF distensibIe
pouches or sacs covering the gills, which
the eel fills with water in order that the
glil-hbers may be kept moist, by which
means he Is enable TO remain upon the
dry land for a considerable time without
coming to serious harm. So, when the
pond where the eel makes his home begins
TO get dry, he takes in good supply OF
water and starts of TO find another:
moving like snake in nn apparently
sinuous course, but really in surprisingly
straight line, for the piece OF water he
wishes to reach, whose direction he
seems, by some curious instinct, 20 know
The Anabas Scandens, or climbing
perch OF India, is perhaps, the most cele.
brated of any fish which voluntarily
q h 40. =
most accomplished in terrestrial feats
He is little fellow, very like a perch in
the general form, with large scales and
spiny dorsal fin, and is TO be found in
rivers and ponds in most parts Of the
East Indies. When the waters which he
inhabits seem in danger of being dried
up, he leaves them and travels Off in
search of others. Though he 'perfers TO
make these journeys at night, or in the
early morning, while the dew still lies
upon the grass, he often travels by day.
and has even been meet toiling along a
hot, dusty gravel road, under the full
glare of an Indian midday sun. II is
howeye.. Jr his climbing powers that
this extraordinary fish is famed above all
Others that frequent the land. BY the
aid OF his spiny gillcovers and tail fin,
which he pushes into the crevces in their
bark, he manages to climb trees and even
tall palm trees. That he does it awkwardly
ia true, moving somewhat after the man.
ner of measuring or looping caterpillar;
bat the fact that no can accom- plish il az
all is as marvellous as his object in
attempting the feat is inexplicable.
Boatmen upon the Gauges and other
rivers where these climbing perch abound
catch them aud put them in earthen pots,
keep them alive without any water often
as many as six days, killing them as they
wish to use them, and find them during
the whole time as lively as when newly
caught.
The common perch of our own waters,
while unable to climb trees or even TO
walk ABOUT the fields, is possessed Of
great tenacity of life after being taken
from the water. When given blanket
of wet moss it can be carried in apparent
comfort for long distances, and in some
parts of Europe the fishermen will offer
these perch for sale during the day, and
If not successful In disposing Of them
will replace them at night ia the ponds
from which they were taben in the morn
ing, seemingly none the worse for their
outing.