The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-06-18

Out
The sailors old stay-at-home mother,
a could not credit his tale about fly
: fish, but yet could think mountains
sugar and rivers of rum quite pos
bIa would have been hard to con-.
noe about some Of the fishy wonders
bich have been recently discovered.
iqb that can live and breathe COM
,rtably on land; fish that use their
ns as limbs and walk with them over
u land; fish that climb trees and are
he alive out of dry land, like pota-
Des, certainly seem to be outside the
ounds of possibility.
Ambitious fishes are to be found in
arious quarters of the globe. Begin
ing in Europe, there is the blenny,
bich, when kept in aquaria, has been
royed to require at least an hours
IRE air out of water to preserve it
good health and spirits. In the
opics is found the periophthalmus,
hose front fms are powerful and
laped something like legs. This fish
singularly amphibious and hops
yer the muddy fats in search of food,
otably the crabs and mollusks left
randed by the retreating tide. This
gh is so active on land that it is diff
cult to catch, and various specimens
rought from Mauritius were secured
b means of a shotgun-truly a unique
hethod of killing fish. This fish is
lso found at Ceylon, and it is notice
bic that when chased they prepare
escape by land rather than by wat
b they really seem to appreciate the
port. Professor Moseley records that
e chased one at Trincomali harbor,
Ehich skipped along before him until
reached a rock, where it sat on a
edge out Of the water in the sun and
Eaited till he came up, when it once
bore skipped away to another rock
1rther out of reach. At each jump
bis fish could clear a foot's length.
'he periOphthalmus koelreuteri is
Ound principally at the Fijian islands,
nd is perfectly at home on land, where
elects to settle upon the dry roots
I the mangrove trees. The first am
hibious fish ever remarked by Eu-
Opean naturalist was the now we'll
nown climbing perch or anabas. The
ales of the natives of India that such
sh existed were naturally not credit
d, but Daldorf received ocular demon
sration when he was taken by ma
I've to a fastdrying swamp, from
Thich he was told ne would see the
sh walking, using their fins as limbs.
effect he did see a long procession
this wonderful fish deliberately
marching over the grass from their
iscarded haunts in search of another
here more water could be found. Lat
r on the same naturalist observed
nese fish climbing small palms, pre-
lmably in quest Of food. In Ceylon
he migratory habits of these fishes are
well known to the natives that when
hey have stored any in a tank in
losure they always cover it to pre-
ent the fish from climbing out. This
'ould certainly appear a travellers tale
the tallest description did not sci
nee Vouch for its authenticity. In
exas the same order of fish is found.
mich, when confined by an unsuspect-
lg naturalist in a deep pail, were OBJ
efVed to be leisurely crawling I'D the
'hes and out into open air, which in
0 way appeared to incommode their
reathing apparatus. In both America
No India the existence of fish is rec
snlzed which at the approach of dry
'eather burrow down into the earth.
no there hibernate until a heavy
oWnral of rain brings them to the
lrIace again. The present writer re-
lembers, when child in Madras. IN
a. being taken out after brisk mon
Jon shower to observe the rain pud-
les IN the heretofore sun-baked road
nlch then contained lively tribe of
ny nSh' which the natives were catch
g lndustriously. The fish are very
nsil and bony, but the natives are
Iad to add them as a zest to their
mple vegetable curries. The igno-
WI assert that such fish must have
''u [ained down from the sky, but
reality they belong to the species
na LII IS wont to burrow until wet
Gather returns.