The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1898-01-21
ABOUT THE FlNNY TRlSE.

and when it was hauled in shore several
curious fishes were found clinging 70
it. They were about foot in length,
black and shining. while the head was
curiously fiattened, having plate upon
it resembling a section of Venetian
blind. This plate was a sucker and the
fishes had fastened themselves to tho
shark by it and could hardly be pulled
away,
member of the finny tribe, invariably
found with sharks and sometimes see4
consorting with large turtles and
sheepshead. What the relationship real
ly is would be difficult to tell, but tie
shark apparently does not object, and,
so far as we know, does not attempt
to injure his attendants, so it is fair
to assume that it is a case of friend
ship.
In watching sharks in deep water
have always seen the remoras SWIM
ming alongside, but the moment the
shark was hooked they attached them
selves by the sucking plate and as a
rule came out of the water with their
big companion, sacrificing their liyes
rather than be parted, while those
which had not secured a hold swan
about where the shark was pulled out
evidently much disturbed.
The shark has another friend in the
little pilotfish, member Of the mack
erel family. l have seen a dozen or
more swimming about the head of a
man-eater, darting off TO every small
object that met their eye or scent and
returning to their big copsort. have
seen the pilot swim out ten feet to a
floating dead fish and return to the
shark that was swimming on the sur.
face, upon which the latter would move
in that direction. This may have been
a coincidence, but serves the plan of
friendship very well. THIS association
OF animals is SO common among marine
forms that it is difficult to disavow the
idea of friendship and protection. Ur
among the tentacles of the Portuguese
man-Of-war, which are so deadly that
the slightest touch will kill a sardine,
I have found in the Gulf of Mexico
numbers of little fishes allied to the
mackerel and of the exact tint of the
tentacles, undoubtedly finding protec
ton in this resemblance. AS l lifted
up one of the men-of-war by the tai!
the fishes darted about in great con.
fusion and returned Immediately to
their companion as 1 replaced it in the
water, and there was apparently some
bond of friendship between them.
Nearly all the large jellyfshes have
their trains of finny courtiers, in near.
ly every case allied to the mackerel
family and probably born on the high
seas, so taking up with the umbrella.
like jelly for a protector.
/ The trepang, the favorite fish of the
celestials, who spend $4,000 annually
for this dainty, affords protection to q
small fish. Twas once wading overa coral
reef and noting large trepang, lifted
it up, when, to my amazement, out
came DELICATE, silvery fish, so trans.
parent that print could almost be read
through it. I caught the curious Wis.
itor and placed it in water, where il
swan about for few minutes and then
died. This incident resulted in the ex.
animation of other trepangs. and 1
found that nearly all had an occupant.
In no instance did l see fish return
to its protector, though the naturalists
of the Naples aquarium have been SC
fortunate, curious to say the return
being made tail first.
The presence of sea auemone on the
back of a crab might be considered
an accidental occurrence, but there Is
every reason to believe there is bond
of friendship between certain ;ndivid.
uals. A distinguished German natural.
list found in his explorations large
crab, which bore upon one of its claws.
just at the joint, a sea aremone, the
mouth of the latter being so situated
that it fell just beneath the mouth OF
the crab when the latter was eating.
To prove whether the crab had any
affection for his companion, the nat.
uralists took the crab and placed it
in tank, forcibly taking the anemone
from the claw and dropping it in the
water. He supposed that the crab
would be relieved, but on the contrary
it seemed to be disturbed and hunted
around until it found the anemone,
when it replaced it on the same spot.
The naturalist then cut the anemone
into several pieces and scattered them
about the tank, returning after awhile
to find that the crab had collected
every available piece and was evidently
guarding them.
The experiment was tried with sew.
eral crabs with the same result. which
would seem to show that between the
crab and the anemone existed bond
of some kind. This companionship is
seen especially in Africa, where nearly
all the large animals have their bird
companions. On the black rhinoceros
white heron is often seen, while on
the oxen several birds take possession
and when an enemy approaches they
rise with loud cries, warning their
huge companion, and many a hunter
loses a good shot in this way. The
camel has feathered friend that IS
often seen perched upon its ears, ex-
aiming the skin with great care; and
the moose has good friend in the Can
ada jay, that roosts on its. horns and
back and gives warning of an approach
ing enemy.
Among all the lower animals can be
found these strange associations, which,
considered as friendship or something
else, are none the less remarkable. San
Francisco Chronicle
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