Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-09-15


food into the water. He would gulp
down the food, all the time keeping his
eyes fixed on Mr.. Forson. II the sun.
fish came along and wanted part of tho
meal the bass would dart at him and
drive him all around the pool. Then
he would come back again and sail
lazily about with his eyes turned up at
Mr.. Forson.
There is a great deal of expression in
the bass eyes, Mr.. Eorson thinks, and
he is quite convinced that he has lot
of fun in his disposition. That is
shown by the way he leases the sun.
fish. When food is thrown in the bass
eats greedily until he has filled his
stomach and then lies down at the bot
tom of the basin and appears to go to
sleep. lie is utterly motionless, and
the unfortunate sunfish, who has been
lurking in the shadows, afraid to come
out while his savage companion is
actively about, is deceived. He comes
up swiftly and gulps at choice tid-
bit. But before his mouth can close
over it up comes the bass, with his big
jaws wide open, and gives the poor
sunflsh n bite that would make him
yell with agony if he had tie power.
Away goes the sunfish rs fast as ever
he can. Mr.. Forson believes that the
bass actually laughs on such occasions,
for his jaws open and close and the
drollest of expressions linger about his
eyes. After awhile he sinks down and
tries to fool the sunfish again. He will
wait most patiently, but the sunfish
has learned wisdom by many painful
experiences and rarely falls into the
trap second time. How the sunfish
manages to get enough to eat to keep
alive is wonder, for the bass is con-
stantly after him.
Nowadays the bass recognizes Mr..
Forson's voice. II Mr. Forson calls to
him up he pops. He will also answer
to whistle or to peculiar snap of the
fingers, which he recognizes as belong
ing exclusively to Mr.. Forson.
A reporter for the New York Sun
saw the bass recently. He has grown
to be about eight inches long and is
very plump. He was not in sight when
Mr.. Forson and the reporter entered
the greenhouse. Mr.. Forson stopped
down over one of the pools and
splashed his hand in the water vigor-
ously. and followed this by swapping
of his fingers. Presently the bass ap-
peared His head was near the sur
face of the water, while his tail was
about five inches below it. He looked
up at Mr.. Forson in a very funny way,
the whites of his eyes showing very
prominently. Mr. Forson held worm
above the water and called:
"Come, come, now"
The bass wrigglcd his tail for min
ute, and then seemed to gather him
self for the jump. A moment later he
flew out of the water and picked the
worm out of Mr.. Forson's fingers. He
fell back with splash, and imme-
diately resumed his former perpendicu-
lar position. He smackcd his jaws sew
eral times, showing an enormous mouth,
and moved the little fins tipped with
white under his jaws. He watched Mr..
Forson attcntively all the time and
seemed to pay no attention to the re-
porter.
Mr.. Forson held another worm over
the water. The bass braced himself
again for n jump, but just then he
caught sight of the sunfish stealing
along as if looking for morscl that
the bass might drop. Like flash the
bass darted at the sunfsh, anger ap-
parently being stronger than hunger.
Both disappeared for minute. Then
the bass came back alone, took up his
former position and waited till Mr..
Forson held out the worm again. Ur
he flew and snapped the worm out o1
Mr.. Forson's fingers This he repeated
number of times, until the sunfish
again pecped out OF the shadows, when
a second chase ensucd.
Mr.. Forson walked around to another
part of the basin where the water was
overcast by heavy shadows This wa:
out of sight of the pool at which he ha6
been. He whistled in a peculiar man
ner and the bass came up there. Mr.
Forson put his hand in the water an6
began splashing and the bass came
right up to him.
Mr. Forson says the bass will allow
him to fondle it and will play with him
as long as he wants to. In fact he is
very fond of fooling and shows his ap
probation of it in many ways. He will
jump for worms even when he is MOI
hungry, just for the sport of it, and will
drop them in the water. He never fail:
to keep q sharp lookout for the sun
fish, however. He does not care very
much for worms, as rule, but he i!
very fond of grasshoppers and cricliets
He cavorts in great glee when Mr.
Forson comes to him with these tidbit'
and will do his highest jumping fol
them.
The fame of his performances hal
spread all over Yonlkers, Hastings
and the neighboring villages and (
great many visitors come to see him
Very few of them are prepared for hi
exhibitions and their surprise at hi
intelligence has given rise to his title
"The Wonder of Greystonc."