The record-union., 1895-05-15
FREAK FISHES.
Uncle Sans Fnny Curios From the
Deep.
Fishes That Go CraZy-DeniZens of the
Deep at the Smithsonian
Institution.

Beneath the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, in a basement closed to
curiosity seeking visitors, is the greatest
collection of bottled fishes in the world,
says the New York World. 1t is a weird
place, entered like a dungeon, through
doors of iron-a precaution against fire.
In the twilight gloom strange forms of
finny creatures in jars throw gigantic
shadows.
The man IN charge is the ia nous ichthy
ologist, DR.. Tarleton II. Bean. With the
finger of science he points out some of
the more interesting of the scaly freaks.
Here, for example, is the candletsh OF
Alaska, which is so fat that the Esqui-
meaux use it dried for a candle, fixing it
for the purpose in a forked stick. In that
other bottle is one of natures limitations
the batfish-which is made to resem BILE
piece of coral so artistically that it is
difficult to detect the cheat unless the
creature moves. When it docs move it
seems to walk on four legs, which are in
reality fins.
Another freak exhibited in an aquari-
um at the Fish Commission station is
the swellfish. 1t has yellow stripes
from head to tail, which makes it look as
if it were covered with fancy silk. When
ment it takes big breath OF air that
swells it up like a balloon, and it goes
swimming along on the top of the waves
before the wind.
The Smithsonian Institution has a
cast of giant souid made OF papier-
mache, aud so beautifully painted as to
look like life 1t is fifty 1eet long, but
v,,1x hi
monstrous mollusk, more dreaded in
Eastern seas than any shark. attains a
total length OF 100 feet, having two ten
tacleS 100 feet long.
In the Indian Ocean the fisherman
will sometimes SEQ a mons.rous creature,
with enormous goggilng eyes, rise out
of the depths and fling across his boat
gigantic tentacie, armed with scores
OF powerful suckers. For such an adj
venture the fisherman has always ready
keen knife with which to slash OFT the
tentacle before it drags him overheard.
a full-grown giant squid of this kind
weighs 10000 pounds and has eyes as
large as the biggest dinner plate-in
fact, the largest eyes Of any known ami
NAL. The huge mollusk is represented
only by small bottled species related
to it.
When the moon is full the little suuids
of the common sort are apt to be found
stranded in great numb bers, and fisher
men on the New Zealand coast collect
them for bait. They have habit of star
ing at the light, swimming backward as
they do So This results in their
running upon the opposite shore
they rarely get OF again, be-
cause they Immediately begin to pump
water out Of the siphons which are their
locomotive apparatus, thus driving them-
selves further up on the land.
There are many kinds of rays in the
Jars of alcohol. A fish of this order is one
of the most dangerous monsters of the
deep. Measuring thirty feet from tip 10
tip OF its mighty wings" it is enormous
ly powerful, and sometimes runs away
with small vessels, getting 1ouled III the
anchOr-lineS. If attacked 1t will not hesl-
tate to assail u boat. Stories are told OF
it's swamping such small craft by extend
ing one OF its great wings out OF water
and dragging crew and bark under the
sea with a flap of the giant tin. Accounts
are given OF its attacking divers, swoop-
ing down from above, so that the un-
fortunate peholds living cloud settling
over him with open jaws TO gObble him
up.
In one bottle is torpedo" which is
also OF the ray family. Ii has two COM
plete electric batteries on other side OF its
head. Each battery contains 47o cells in
the shape OF six-slded tubes placed side
by side. The walls of the cells are lined
with nerve tissue, and each one is filled
with clear, troubling jelly. The ami
NAL can deliver sufficient number of
volts to knock down a man and stun him.
Two other fishes possess galvanic batter
les in their tailS-a catfish and an eel.
The electricity developed by these crea-
lures is merely transformed nervous
energy.
The Smithsonian Institution would be
glad 10 get some swordtish eggs and TO
pay big price for them. None have
ever been seen. 1t is not known where