Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-10-01
THE SEAS ODD DENIZENS,
TISH THAT CLIMB. LIvEIN WOODS,
AND UTTER SOUNDS.
The Climbing Fish of the Dutch East
Indies Finny Inhabitants of For
ests-MusiCal Fish.

ests-Musical Fish.
TMAGINATION had boundess
range in devising legends and
marvels about fish until Knowl-
{ edge clipped her wings, remarks
the London Standard. When Lieu.
tenant Daldorf, of the Dutch East
India Service, reported to Sir Joseph
Banks that he had caught 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 preserve that officer from
an outburst of universal mockery. 1t
was asked with reason whs.t ON earth
the fish expected to find useful for its
purposes at the top of u palm tree?
The earliest reporter of this fact,
AbouZeyd, who wrote in the ninth
century, had sufficient explanation.
He was not bothered with science.
The creature went up to feed upon the
fruit, and when satisfied it returned to
the water. But this would not do for
the savants even hundred years ago
They pointed out that Percha scan
dens live on water insects, that it
could not and would not eat fruit,
and that if its fins and gill-covers be
so framed that it might possibly climb
tree, they are so framed also that it
could not make even an effort to de-
scend. Their objections are not yet
answered, nor, so far as we are aware,
has any fish since been caught nine
feet above the ground. But the habit
of climbing is admitted whatever the
motive. In fact, the Cingalese cover
their fish traps with netting because,
as they explained to Mr.. Layard, some
species would creep up the poles and
escape over the other side. A few
hours sojourn in almost any tropic
realm will convince the stranger that
fish can climb, if he spend them on
the banks of a tidal river The funny
little mud fish scurry and paddle there
all day long, mounting to the top OF
the rocks, however smooth running
up and down the mangrove roots MS
active almost as lizards Not least
curious of their peculiarities is the
trick of running over the surface of
the water for distance which seems
bounded only by their inclination.
As for the fish that live in tho
woods-barrin2 xaggeration-the
also abound. The morachung, of
Bootan, is most famous. 1t is never
caught in rivers, or even IN standing
ponds, though, as some accounts say,
its abiding places always communicate
with water, so that it can return to its
'native element" when SO disposed
However that may be, they are caughJ
not by hook or net, but by the spade;
and they are worth some digging-two
feet long, perhaps, disproportionately
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 stroll
on dry land occasionally Sir r.
Schomburgh saw colored men going
out to fish in the jungles Guiana with
nothing but basket, and they
brought back as many as they could
carry. Sir John Bowring constantly
observed the fish go ashore and ''loso
themselves amongst the trees" upon
the Siamese River Meinam. Mr.. Nor
ris was inspecting a leaking tank by
Trincomalee when heavy rain came on.
His man suddenly raised a shout and
galloped up "knoll," the far side of
which-that distant from the tank
proved to be alive with fish elm bing
upward at prodigious speed we are to
suppose that they left the pool when
the water escaped, but hastened to re-
turn, knowing that the rain would re-
fill it. AS for burying fishes, they are
numberless. We have grave report
of one species found nineteen feet be-
low the surface Of n field. 1t is not
necessary to believe this. But in
Abyssinia they are dug up six feet or
more below the river bed when it is
dry.
1t is not commonly believed that
fishes have any power of utterance,
but, although the fact is not proved
yet. SO far rs we have read, there is
such mass of testimony from divers
regions, contributed by observers of
such credit, that the fact is no longer
doubtful.
At Caldera, in Chill, near the land
pidoSs u NSIy liShohhV 10
heard sometimes. The music resem-
bles that of harp, with range of
four notes at least; the incurious peo-
pie of the neighborhood have no the
ory about it, But like concert is
usual at various points of the Indian
coast and there, of course, its origin
is well understood-thati is, the na-
tives may be right or wrong, but they
have an explanation. DIR. BUST de-
scribes it as 'long, distinct sounds,
like the protracted booming of dis
tant bell, the dying cadence of an
Eolian harp, the note of pitch-pipe
or pitch-fork, or any otner long
drawn-out musical note" 1t became
much more sonorous when listener
put his head to the planks of the YES
sci. Next day the boatmen presented
DR.. Buist with number of fish which,
as they said, produced the music
species very plentiful, IN size and
shape like our perch. Sir Emerson
Tennent hoard such stories in CeylOn