The Arizona sentinel., 1888-01-21
EfsH. ouToEzMATER.
Members of the Finny Tribe Who Clim
 Trees and Walk on Land.


 Members of the Finny Tribe Who Climb
 Trees and Walk on Land.
 Many kinds of fish build nests in tho water for the protection of their eggs, but the doras make theirs upon the beach. This they do at the beginning of the rainy season.. The nest is formed very nearly like that of bird and is built of dry leaves, which the little creature goes inland to fetch. When it is finished the eggs are de- posted within, and these small fish parents cover up their embryo offspring most carefully and watch over them with great solicitude. The common eel is known to have a similar habit of moving about on the land, and will even live several days out of water. When an eel is drawn from the water and laid upon the earth it at once puffs out its cheeks in very noticeable manner. These cheeks are formed of distensible pouches or sacs covering the gills, which the eel fills with water in order that the gill-fbers may be kept moist, by which means he IS enabled to remain upon the dry land for considerable time without coming to serious harm. So, when the pond where the ee! makes his home begins to get dry, he takes in a good supply of water and starts off to find another; moving like snake in an apparently sinuous course, but really in surpris- ingly straight line, for the. piece of water he wishes to reach, whose direc- ton he seems, by some curious instinct, to know.
 The Anabas Scandens, or climbing perch of India, is, perhaps, the most celebrated of any fish which voluntarily comes on shore, as he certainly is the 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 prefers 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 met toiling along a hot, dusty gravel-road, under the full glare of an Indian midday sun. It is, however, for his climbing powers that this eX- traordinary fish is famed above all others that frequent the land. By the aid of his spiny gill-coverS and tail fin, which he pushes into the crevices in the bark, he manages to climb trees and even tall palm-trees. That he does it awkwardly is true, moving somewhat after the manner of a measuring or looping caterpiller; but the fact that he can accomplish it at all is as marvellous as his object in at tempting the feat is inexplcable. Boat men upon the Ganges and other rivers where these climbing perch abound catch them and put them in earthen pots, keep them alive without any water often for as many as six days killing them as they wish to use them and find them during the whole time as lively aswhen newly caught.
 The common perch of our own waters while unable to climb trees or even tC walk about the fields, is possessed ot great tenacity of life after being taker from the water. When given a blanket of wet moss it can be carried in ap parent 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 dis posing of them will replace them a night in the ponds from which they were taken in the morning, seemingly none the worse for their outing. - Swiss Cross.