Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-12-19
HEARING IN FISHES.
They Cannot Hear Sounds originat-
ing in the Air.


ing in the Air.
The scientists tell us that in many
fishes no trace exists of an organ of
hearing; that the tympanum, its cavity
and the external paris of the ear are
entirely al sent; that in O. hers this organ
is only imperfectly developed, and that
in the remaining few, such as the shark,
the shad, herring and others, there is an
odd connection between the organ OF
hearing and the air bladder. With
these crude acts before him, the ichthy-
ologist leaves the angler to work out the
answer 10 the question, "Can fish hear?"
which is a most practical one to the
careful angler in his pursuit of the
educated game fish of our inland waters.
We sum up briefly the conclusions of
an old black bass angler on this sub
ject.
Fish hear no sound originating in the
air.
Place a cannon upon an Indiarubber
carriage, sufficiently large and elastic
enough to deaden, when fired, all con-
cuss:on upon the ground, and Mr.. Fish,
after the explosion, will be as placid in
his pool as q gourmand after dinner.
But, step as lightly as one may upon
the margin of stream, and the fish will
scatter like shot from the shadows where
they are feeding or frolicking. The
larger the fish and the lesser the depth
of water the greater and wilder the scat.
tering will be.
Security seems to lie with them in the
relative depth of the pools, as the step
of the angler only dis!urbs them in a
foot or two of water. A fish lying in a
hole three OF four feet deep. close to the
banks, is undisturbed by any ordinary
conclusion
Again, any concussion originating in
OF upon the bed of the river or below the
fish, does not appear to disturb them.
This was verified by this old angler one
day upon large bass which he saw
lying motionless within foot of the
stake to which the camp boat was tied.
The water was about four feet deep. He
struck several successive hard blows
upon the top of the stake, which pro-
truded about two feet out of the water,
without causing firt of the fin in the
fish below. Our angler at once con.
cluded that the bass could not hear the
noise made by footsteps upon the bed
of the river, when wading in the stream
and, as the jolly fins could not hear the
conversation originating out of the
water, anglers may indulge in social
chat and pleasantries whenever inclined
taking care, however, TO be always on
the safe side by not becoming too bois.
ferrous in their discussions or hilarity.
"Boys," sud Ay-fisher on one occa.
sion, "what fools these bait-tishers are
to put their comfort in straight jacket
when they go a-fshing. Some old fel
lows won't let you whisper in the boat,
and are as querulous and over cautious
as my grandfather was whenever he had
an attack of the gout. He would lie flat
on his back in bed, with his equity foot
propped up on pillow, laid across o
chair, placed bottom upward, and in
this position would centre and st ain
his eyes and fears upon the knob of the
chamber door, which was no soone1
turned upon its axel than he was heard
crying out with prospective pain, "watch
out for my foot"
"It is just so with these old bait-fsh-
ers. A motion of your lip, although
voiceless, and they would cry out if
they dared watch out for my coming
bite. They are right in thinking that
the least motion of the boat is apt tc
frighten the fish, but Il won't go home
till morning by dozen bass voices is
less disturbing to a pool or bank than
the twiiching of a toe on the bottom Of
O boat"