The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-12-19

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or all the creatures OF tho animal
kingdom fishes present the most curl
Gus forms. In land animals we lind
no such striking diversities In q
general way the variation In color and
disposition OF plumago marx the birds
and. as rule. the beasts vary ono
from the Other Ia length of limb tail
and neck but In tho fishes nefu1o
seems 70 have run riot in fashioning
misshapen forms They possess a
general type OF structure Ia common
with the other creatures Of the three
great classes OF the animal kingdom.
They have eyes and ears, mouth.
backbone and limbs. heart breath
ing apparatus. teeth aud brains-in
fact all the organs necessary to sus.
tain life create in kind. and 10 forage
for food. yet their external anatomy
Is often OF most grotesque character
In contrast with their great beauty
OF cooration the New York Sun has
examined some OF the rcpulsise forms
and strange developments OF organic
fish life:
The goby family OF fishes dis
tinguished by disk formed by tho
venral fins which enables them to at
tach their bodies firmly 10 the rocks
or other substances. Is represented by
an odd specimen. sort OF halt-breed.
which has some OF the habits OF tho
baitacians or amphibians Its scien-
tifc name is Perlophthalmus koelreu-
teri. the extent OF which seems 70
have exhausted nomenclature In this
particular case as no other name can
be found for II even In its natal waters
Its most striking peculiarly is the
habit il has OF leaving the water at
the ebb OF the tide and feeding on tho
small crustacoa and other substanccs
exposed by the receding tide. Owing
to its strong pcctoral and ventral fms
and TAIL II can hop freely and rapidly
over the ground. So quick are its
movements that II Is almost as Diff
cult to catch II with the hand as IL is
the ordinary pond frog. The peculiar
construction OF It's eyes which are
very movable and capable OF being
thrust far out OF their sockets. enables
| IL TO see in the air as well rs in the
water
From this amphibious frog-fsh tho
! transition is natural to one that can
climb trees. II is called Anabas
scandens In the books. and 'climbing
perch" by the natives OF the Indian
region.
In 1907 Daldorf in n paper before
| the Linnean Society OF London states
that in 1871 he took u climbing perch
In the act OF ascending tree whick~
1 grew near pond. The fish had
reached height OF five feet above the
water and was still going higher In
doing this 1t held on to the bark OF the
tree by the sharp spines OF the front
and lower gill covers bent its tail and
stuck i'm the spines OF its anal tho
back fin on the belly; II then released
its head. and. raising II took a new
hold higher up with the spines OF thu
gill covers. urging its way up by dis
tending or contracting its body. This
perch leaves pools when they are in
danger OF being dried up. and travels
in search OF water and when doing 50
they have bean met with in the glare
OF noon toiling along dusty road. IL
is said that the boatmen OF the Gauges
keep these perchcs in vessel without
water for DAYS. killing and cooking
them as wanted from day TO day. u
fish belg always as lively as who
first caught IL Is said t&'uA they "a
enabled TO maintain life out OF
native element so long time bd c>
OF the retention OF supply OF wA,C
in the intcrstices OF the bones adjacent'
10 the gills.
A curious cl9ngation OF the snout
occurs in the boar lish or bastard do
rev one OF the marine pcrches native
to Australian waters. much esteemed
rs a fish food Its flesh improves In.
favor after being out OF the water
twenty -four heqra<hence II is mu p
sought for by Inssnd rmple The i. .
OF the snout in hshd \pppears TO DO
merely mcchan cal. forMking purpok-
%. and It's proloncatloil Md appeAr
TO DO simply a freak OF nAyHe 0>.U11
fishes OF The same family ind hnbits
having only the usual length OF snout
a striking exception To tho rule laid
down as To the Use of the snout In the
boar-lish occurs IN the use OF the arch
or fish (roxotes jaculator). one OF the
chelmos native Of the East lndic&
This fish Is nbout six or seven inches
In length and has slightly prolonged
snoui. from which II projects drops 81
water. with sure aim. at insects caus.
ing them 20 fall into the water where
they arc instantly seized rs prey.
This habit II continues Ia captivity.
and IL Is said TO be highly priced as =
household PCT b. the Malays who
keep u In captivity in bowl Of watcr
ard amuse themselves at the exhibit.
tim o. the peculiar habit OF the FISH.
VIII ch they cHll kan summit
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