The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-05-28
FISH LIVE ON LAND.
SPECIMENS WHICH EXIST OUT
OF NATURAL ELEMENT.
Many Varieties Noted by Scientists OF
Amphiblous Habits-Burrew DeePN
I'm Mud When the Water supply Gives
Out.

The sailors old stay-at-home mother
who could not credit his tale about ny
ing fish. but yet could think mountains
OF sugar and rivers Of rum quite pos
sible. would have been hard TO con
vince about some Of the hshy "ohue's
which have been recently diseoNei'u'
Fish that can live and breathe oO'n
fortably on land: fish that use thef
fms as limbs and walk with them N''
the land: fish that climb trees ah'SA'e
dug alive out OF dry land, IKE Po,'
toes, certainly seem to be ou's'ue 'H'
bounds Of possibility.
Amphiblous fishes are TO be touhu III
various quarters OF the globe pes'u
ming in Europe. there is the oIenh''
which. when kept In aquaria, ma oeen
proved to require at least an hou'
pure air out Of water TO preserve II
in good health and spirits. In tue
tropics is found the periophihalihus,
whose front fins are powerful anu
shaped something like legs. ms hs'
is singularly amphiblous and hops
over the muddy fats In search OF 1904
notably the crabs and mollusks Iel'
stranded by the retreating tide. ms
fish Is so active on land that II Is ull-
ficult to catch, and various specimens
| brought from Mauritius were secured
By means Of a shotgun-truly a unique
method OF killing fish. This nsh Is
also found at Ceylon. and II Is notice
able that when chased they prepare
TO escape by land rather than by wat
er: they really seem to appreciate the
sport. Professor Moseley records that
he chased one at Trincomali harboT'
which skipped along before him until
Il reached a rock where Il sat on
ledge out OF the water in the sun and
waited till he came up. when II once
more skipped away TO another rock
further out OF reach. At each jump
this fish could clear a foots length.
The periophthalmus koelreuteri Il
found principally at the Fijian Islands
and Is perfectly at home on land. where
Il elects 10 settle upon the dry roots
OF the mangroye trees. The hrst am
phibious Ash ever remarked by Eu
ropean naturalist was the now we'll
known climbing perch or anabas. Tn
tales OF the natives Of India that suci
FISH existed were naturally not credit
ed. but Daldorf received ocular demon
stration when he was taken boy ma
tive to a fastdrying swamp. from
which he was told he would see th
fish walking. using their fms as limb,
In effect he did see long procession
OF this wonderful fish deliberatel
marching over the grass from thcI
, discarded haunts In search Of anOthe
, where more water could BE- found. LAT
, er on the same naturalist observe
these FISH climbing small palms. pr
sumably In quest Of food. In Ceylo
+, the migratory habits Of these fishes al
so well known TO the natives that whe
d, they have stored any In tank II
n closure they always cover Il 20 pr
!. vent the fish from climbing out Tn
q would certainly appear a travellers "a
r. of the tallest description did not 50
II ence youch FOR lis authenticity.
/. Texas the same order ~ fish Is foun
/. which. when confined by an unsuspeC
+. ing naturalist in deep pail were %
v served 20 be leisurely crawling up n
y sides and ont into open air. which
Is no way appeared 20 .ncummodo the
as breathing apparatus. In both Ameri
Il and India the existence ~ dFh is %
oguized which at the approach Of a
"a weather burrow down into the cart
he and there hibernate until a hea
OF downfall Of rain brings them 20 Z
a. surface again. The present writer
VI members. when a child To- Madras. I
he dia. being taken out after a brisk mo
ci soon shower 10 observe the rain pu
NJ dies 10 the heretofore sun-baked TO.
OF which then contained a lively tribe
en tiny fsh. which the natives were cate
nu ing industriously. The fish are y,
&c small and bony but the natives
W glad to add them as zest % a.
nc simple vegetable curries The ia
Az rant assert that such fish must ha
~ been rained down from the sky. l
-. in reality they belong TO the spec
- which Is wont TO burrow until v
w weather returns.