The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-01
PEEPS INTO FISH LIFE.

Principal Jordan of the Palo Alto Uni
versity tells us that his work for 1893 en-
braced study of the distribution of fish
life between the pole and the equator, so
as TO show where that life received its
fullest development. 1t appears that the
rank of fish varies with the number of
their vertebr8, the most perfect fish being
the one whose vertebra are the fewest in
number. Where the vertebrR are few
their appeDdages are larger and the fms
with which they are connected are better
developed than where the vertebra are
many; where the vertebTa aro numerous
the fish runs altogether ~ vertebIe, and
its intelligence and its physical power are
stunted. 1T was long ago observed that
fossil fishes were richer in vertebT8 than
members of the same genera to-day; and
it has been assumed on general principles
that they were inferior creatures. PriD-
clpal Jordan shows that the number of
vertebTR increases as the fish travels from
the equator 10 the pole. Thus the same
fish which has tweDty-four yertebr4 under
the equator will have twenty-five at Pana-
ma. twenty-eight at MazatlaD. thirtv-fiv
at San Fran cisco, sixty at Sitka and eighty
at Point Barrow. its rank as q fish declin-
ing as it invades the cold, dark, desOlate
waters Of the north.
Fish require light bright surroundings
warmth, company and an abundant sup
ply of food to reach their highest develop
ment. Thus the finest. most compactly
shaped and most beautiful fishes are found
in the coral groups; and the most uncouth
and clumsy fishes in the arctic regions
The former lead life Of incessant conflict
with their neighbOrs for food which Is
nourishing and abundant; the latter have
few rivals TO contend with. but the food
they need is also scanty. The wits of the
former are sharpeDed by the struggle
for existence; the latter have no such
struggle; thew spend their lives in struggle.
in an endless wandering through cold. dark,
deep waters in lonely isolation, on the
chance of finding sustenaDce. The
tropical fish, through the law OF evolution,
becomes perfect in development; while
the arctic fish rarely improves upon its
primeval form. The bonito and the
manatee might be taken as types of the
two.
Like all true savaDts, Professor Jordan
is a man of fancy as we'll as man OF
science. He likens tropical fish to
cultured residents of great cities, and
northern fish TO residents OF the back
woods. The latter have vast unused
possibilities, the former have turned all
their opportunities to account. The
northern fish. like the backw oodsman. has
TO contend against the forces of nature
it 10 with him long. slow. steady pull
against inertia. The tropical fish, like the
deniZen of cities, has to fight with some
voracous rival for every mouthful nc eats,
but the contest develops his strength and
his cunning, and teaches him in course
of generations to concentrate his power
in the smallest possible osseous structure.
The northern fish is like the knight of the
middle ages. The knight was clothed in
breastplate, greaves, helmet and heavy
furniture of war, the carrying of which
consumed so much of his strength that he
could hardly WELD bis Donderous spear,
though he was invulnerable. So the great
northern fishes are not easily pierced by a
weapon, but thew can rarely elude the
pursuit of the Eskimo. The modern
soldier carries nothing to impair the
nimbleness of his movement, and his
weapon is deadly; so the swift denizen of
tropical waters flies like streak of light
through the water. and what it seizes it
holds fast.