Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-12-08

her wings. Much of Izaak's charm
lies in his quaint manner of refer
.eEce TO these fictions. But the loss
of such pleasant errors is compen-
stated by facts more extraordinary and
even more wonderful which science
has revealed lzaak would have
spnrned in a gentle way the most
reyered of his authorities, had he
found the assertion that oysters can
hear and even utter sounds, that
fish climb trees and live in woods.
But the first statement is now
assured, the second is upheld,
by grave evidence, the third is a
commonplace. and the fourth must
be called a pardonable exaggeration.
When Lieutenant Daldorf of the
Dutch East India service reported to
Sir Joseph Banks that he had caught
a FISH on the stem of palm tree five
feet above the ground, and still
mounting upwards, even Sir Joseph's
acceptance of his tale did not pre- 4
serve that officer from an outburst of
universal mockery. 1t was asked
with reason what on earth the fish
expected to find useful for its pur.
poses at the top of a palm tree? But
the habit OF climbing is admitted
whatever the motive. In fact, the
Cingalese cover their fsh-traps with
a netting because, as they explained
60 Mr. Layard, some species would
creep mp the poles and escape over
the ride. a few hours sojourn in
almost any trOpic realm will con-
vince the stranger that fish can
climb, if he spend them on the banks
OF tidal river. The funny little
gnud-fish scurry and paddle there all
day long, mounting TO the top Of the
rocks. however smooth; running up
and down the mangrove roots as ac-
tive almost as lizards Not least
curious Of their peculiarities is the
trick OF running over the surface OF
the water for a distance which
seems bounded only by their inclina
4ion
AS for fish that live in the woods
barring xaggeration-they also
abound. The morachung of Bootan
rs most famous 1t is never caught
in rivers or even in standing ponds,
:,
abiding places always communicate
with water. so that it can return to
its s,native element wlen so dis
posed. However that may be, they
are caught not by hook or net, but
by the spade; and they are worth
some digging-two feet long per-
haps, isproportionately thick, and
ALWAYS in pairs. Plenty OF other
species are taken in the same way
during the hot months, and plenty
more divert themselves with a stroll
on dry land occasionally. Sir r.
Aschomburgh saw negroes going out
TO 1ish in the jungles OF Guiana with
nothing but basket or two. and
shey brought back as many as they
could carry. Sir John Bowring con
.stantly observed the fish go ashore
and close themselves amongst the
trees upon the Siamese river
Aeinam
~ sing fishes" make very an
s9iquc est We have it, indeed. on
the grave authority OF Valentyn. the
Learned historian and naturalist of
Dutch India, that a mermaid was
caught not only to speak, but to
spin and understand the tenets OF
Christianity; but mermaid is not
quite a fish. 1t is not commonly
believed that the fishes have any
power of utterance, but although
the fact is not proved absolutely
yet. SO far as we have read, tn re is
such a mass of testimony from
divers regions. contributed by OBJ.
servers of such credit, that the fact
IS no longer doubtful. Sir Spencer
St. John recounts that in one of his
1Bornean expeditions be continually
heard booming sound which rose
IN .b.tably from the water; his
Maia crew asserted that it was
made by fish of which they caught
a specimen presently. II we may
trust our recollection OF the passage
in Forests in the Far East, it
proved to be a creature resembling
the lamprey in the respect that it
attached itself to the boat. Some.
what similar. apparently, is the
occaljoc, the drummer fish
of the Niagara, the voice
of which is described as
sUuZZ- QUIZ DO III IS reported
by Pallegoix that fish called by
the Siamese "dog's tongue" fixed
dtseif to the timber OF a boat 'et
fat entendre un bruit tres souore e I
meme harmonious" At the mouth
OF the Pascagola river, in the state
>01 Mississippi bay on the north
coast of the gulf of Mexico, and al
baltimore, the same phenomenon il
asserted; in the last instance they
attribute it to species of catfish
'HIbe Swan river in Australia, has its
s'trumpeter. and the fishing folk Of
lisbon assert that the coryina,
(which does not seem to be identified,
'Trtters droning sound. At Caldera,
lin Chill, near the landing place, g
very pleasing serenade Is heard
sometimes. The music resembles
that Of harp with range of four
notes at least; the injurious people
OF the neighborhood have no theory
about 1T. But like concert is usua
at various points off the Indian
coast. and there of course. its origin
ss we'll understood-t is the ma,