The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-31
CAN FISHES TALK?
Curious Sounds Uttered by Some
DenizenS Of the Ocean.
The HasmuIon That Secured Its RstuTn 10
WatsT After Its Capture.

Avalon, Cal, uly H.-JFish that utter
sounds are by no means rare. but they
are not often seen or heard by those
not I'm the fishing business. Some years
ago, i'm the Gulf of Mexico. a small.
highly colored fish known as the haze
mulon was hauled i'm. The moment it
appeared above the surface IL opened
its mouth and began TO >grunI and
groan so loudly tnat the attention of
the entire party was attracted TO Il.
The SOUNDS could be heard from one
end TO the other OF the sixty-ton
schooner. one Of the fishermel held
the fish in amazement a few moments
and then was so convinced that IL was
talking and begging for liberty that il
was tossed overheard. The glzZard
shad utters "A note that ca be heard
some distance and the eel is said To
make a noise that comes ne ,se- to be-
ing musical than any other made by
fish. The loudest sound uttered by a
fish came from a small dogiish, or
shark, on the New England coast. he
fishermen were hauling them in by the
dozen. and as each hsh came OF OF
the water il uttered loud rOak. and
kept ii up as though in great agony, so
that when several We're on deck The
air was full of barking. or croaking.
The drumfish is one OF the few nshes
whose sounds are heard while they are
In the water. The late Spencer J.. Baird
OF the Smithsonian Institute )n made
some interesting experiments Win
them, and In report describe 4 the
strange sounds that came up from the
bottom. He had the impression that the
fish were directly on the bottom Of The
vessel and were in some way striking
IL; but this was found to be lis.ak-
The fish were in school some fe, be-
low the surface and were 4 all proba
ms ri
their pharyngeal teeth tog sther. I he
sounds began to be heard coming up
ten had a singular effect upon super
stitious seamen, who saw omcns IN he
weird noises.
Any one who has slept small
boat with his ears a few nch 3 IN
the water has heard strange CT king
sounds sometimes. They appeared u ke
a series of cracks or electric z ckS.
but what creatures produce The noise
no one seems TO know.
One OF the most remarkable OF all
| the sound-producng fishes Is found IN
| China seas and an account Cf It's &C.
| tions has been givesl by Lieut White
| of the British navy. He was engagei
| i'm some special work at the entrance
| of "a river and came TO anchor one 'lSht
| I'm shallow water Presently strange
| sounds began 10 beh card coming up
| from the bottom. They were described
| as resembling the changing of bells and
| the beating Of drums. The mel were
| demoralized and attributed the nUises
to spirits, IL being said that crew ot
pirates had gone down there, but the
officers were convinced that the noise
was caused by \ me sea animals, and
investigation showed that IL cane from
a school of fish that made the bunds
by clapping their teeth together.
The great Australian lung fish. 80
called because when under water IL
breathes by it's gllls and when out by
it's air bladder. utters sounds that have
startled men. The fish. which attains
a length OF six or eight feet. has SIN
gular habit of leaving the wOer AT
times and crawling over the uarshy
ground. at this time uttering 'fngulor
barking sound OF such peculiar reso-
nance that at night IL can be heard
long distance, a sound very much like
that OF the California drumflsh.
That whales utter sounds is asserted
by many and-one is known as the
caing whale from the sounds IL makes.
A certain village in France was once
thrown into CONSERVATION by the cries
which were heard from the sea at nigh.
and when those who mustered up sur
Icient courage reached the water they
<sNnd a school of whales had stranded
and were uttering cries.
Whether the noises produced by
fishes can be considered as language
Is a subject for debate. but they may
we'll be an expression Of the emotions.
and have some meaning. e'ther as a
call. one individual TO another, or as a
communication of some kind.