The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-27
HAS THE FISH A MEMORY?
Professor Edinger is Seeking for Facts
to Throw Light on the Matter

IFoLessof LuluEer is SeehIllS w ats
to Throw Light on the Matter
Professor Ludwig Edinger is collect
ing information on this point and
writes to us as follows; Have fish
memory? A request for Information.
There is a general opinion that fish
have some sort of memory, that they
can recognize people, know how to find
or avoid places where they have made
formerly some experiences, that fish
which have once escaped the rod know
the bait, etc. 1t is highly desirable that
all experience of this kind should be
collected in the interest Of comparative
psychology. The reason is that till now
we believed the function of memory to
depend on the action Of the brain cor
tex. All experience in man and in the
higher animals has led to that conclu-
sion. During the last years it has been
proved that fish have no brain corteX
at ALL They are the only existing YER
| tebrates without a brain cortex. Now.
| If we could prove beyond the possibili-
| ty of doubt that fish really have a
memory, that they gain experience and
can make use of it, then we shall have
| to give up the till now general opinion
that memory has its seat in the brain
| cortex, Therefore it is extremely i'm
portant to have an entirely new set of
experiences"
Professor Edinger then asks all an
glers and naturalists to communicate
| to him any experiences they may have
| had, requesting them particularly to
take nothing for granted, as the small
est observation may prove of the great
est Importance. Professor Edinger' s
address is No. 20 Gartnerweg, Frank
furt, Main. Here then, is a splendid
chance for anglers to tell their pet tales
and to throw light on this interesting
question. Many incidents which COM
monty occur to anglers would decidedly
go against the theory that fish have
memories. Thus, fish which has had
fly broken in the mouth will often i'm
| mediately take another, and on being
| captured the broken one may be found
still sticking In his mouth, and when it
is well known to fishermen that a pike
which escapes while it is being played
will often again ferociously seize the
bait If 1t be at once temptingly offered
him. Such well-known facts as these
! do not at first sight point to any highly
| developed powers of reasoning in the
| fish, but before drawing any conclu-
sions from them, another factor-that
of sensibility-must also be taken into
consideration. 1t is highly probable
I that fish hooked with small flyhool1
| in grisly part of the jaw feels little or
no pain, and therefore if the hook i'm
mediately breaks the fish possibly looks
upon it as a very slight inconvenience,
which in no wise need hinder him from
continuing his meal. A fish's brain is a
very small mass compared with the
weight of the body, and is also small in
comparison to the spinal cord. We
have no doubt that Professor Edinger
will receive many interesting cornmu-
nications from people who are IN the
habit of studying the habits of fish
carefully. and it Is to be hoped that
some reliable conclusions will be drawn
| from then.-London Lancet.