The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-05
DO FISHES TALK?
A Playful Scientist Who Claims to
Have Heard Wonders.

Have Heard Wonders.
Talking with Finny visitors in Sixty Fee
of Conversation that Canno t
Honorably be Reported. +
Recently, while sitting on the sands o {
Santa Catalina Islands, off the southern
Califo, MIA coast. was introduced to Prof. :
Kolicher. We had conversed but few min. :
utes when he took from his pocket several
strengthening objects that might have
been patent clothes pins. writes CORE
spondent of the New York Evening Post.
II am disciple of Garner" he said.
what he proposed to do with the gorilla
am going to do with the sculpin and the
shark. AS all example," kere he held out
the clot -pin-like objects, here is an imi-
tation fish tone for remorse, and here one
for Joy, taken by me from life. Whenever
caught fish that uttered a sound l held
its head up to photograph, and SO caught
the sound; then had these vocal limitations
made. I can sit on the rocks here and at
tract any fish by my talking machines; but
{ wish 10 test the thing under water.
"You see," continued the professor, "tLat
objects on the dock" pointing to what l
had supposed was a wooden crate; well,
that is a cage of iron which / am going to
enter and have lowered to the bottom of
the bay here 1t is equipped with all the
modern appliances and the latest scientific
discoveries My object.'' and the profess
sorts rhinestone cleaned and sclntillated In
! his enthusiasm, sis to discover and trans
late the language of fishes"
grasped the idea at once; there was only
one point. Where do l come in?" L asked.
"Oh, in the tank, certainly" replied the
professor, evidently misunderstanding me.
Il invite you to join me; join me in the
honor of the discovery
l strongly thought that the professor
wished the honor of drowning with me, but
said nothing. l learned that the local press
| had not gotten wind of it, so finally ac-
cepted.
| The average reader of these lines will
| perhaps imagine that the professor had
| gone mad, and that the writer was perhaps
| in like condition; but not so. 1t so hap
/ pened. as the p1 ofessor had remarked, that
| had made many researches into the Ian
guage of fishes. and, if l had not talked
| with them, and listened to sounds uttered
| by nj less than twenty different kinds-this
| of curse, out of water. If, now, the same
| sounds could be distinguished under water,
! and could be initiated, it could be proved
| that fishes talked and had language.
| Among the fishes had listened to was
| the haemulon of Mexico. Holding it in my
| hand, it uttered a series of grunts or gutter
| sounds which SO appealed to me at the time
| that released the fish. The dogfish of the
| East utters barking croak. The drumtish
| of New Jersey utters loud sound. The cat
| fishes ter sounds, do the little sea-horse
! (lippocampus) a low soundnot unpleasant.
| The club have heard croak. The gizzard-
| shad makes whirring sound; the club
| sucker utters a single sharp note, While the
| catfish (AmiruIus lynx huns and may be
| called the singer among fishes. had listen
| ed to the note of the sculpin that haunts
the shores of Catalina. The murray, one Of
| the sea-eels, produces singular metallic
| musical sound. had not only heard these
| sounds, but knew how they were produced.
| In the Zeus. muImuring fish, the SOUND
| GENES from the swimming-bladder. that has
| a diaphragm and muscles for opening and
closing it. The catfshes and cells produce
their notes by forcing air from the SWIM
ming bladder into the oesophagus. III the
sea-horse the vibration of certain voluntary
muscles PROD uces the sound, and SO on.
When it is remembered that the air-bladder
OF uSQeS Is uOuolOBouS W LILO lungs VI bhO
| higher animal and the pneumatic duct may
! be compared to the trachea of birds and
4 OF her animals, we gee there is some resem-
blance between sounds produced by fishes
and those of other animals.
The next thing was TO hear them in their
| native element, and as we know fishes have
ears they eItainly must be able to emit
| sounds So it will be seen that the profess
sor had fair grounds for believing that he
was on the threshold Of great discoveries.
and might accomplish his ambition by con-
versing with fish.
Matters were conducted with secrecy.
The steamer Falcon, which had large
boom and tackle, was generously offered by
the Wilmington Transportation Company,
and late called Pebble Beach selected
as famous for it's fish and their variety. and
the Falcon came to anchor in about sixty
feet of water. The tank was of iron, bas-
ket-like structure, open on all SIDES, Ike
a crate, with two revolving seats or stools
IL the centre. 1t was, as the professor said.
protection against sharks, yet admitted
fish of large size. 1t was provided with all
the remarkable inventions used by Panici
at the Naples Aquarium, submarine cam
! era a phonograph with an enormous re-
ceive-. and various other objects, bait boxes,
knives, spears, etc. Finally all was ready.
We entered our armoTs, the headpieces were
| screwed on, the telephone attachment be-