The Scranton chronicle., 1900-09-08
CLICKING OF SEA SHELLS.
The Sound IL Lcud Enough 20 lie
Heard ut q Distance OF
several Feet.

listener cannot fail 10 have heard the
peculiar clicking sound on the water
in southern California. The writer
first heard IL after long day of
fishing, when lyhg in the bottom CT
the boat below the water hne. Ii
came like the snap of an electric
shock. continually repeated, loud
enough To be heard several feet dis
tant. and when the ear was pressed
near the hull IL became very distinct.
The Italian fisherman said the sound
was made by fish. Yet looking over
board into the clear water nothing
could he seen, though the sharp, reso-
nant click came continuously all along
IN, wnter line. The closest cNamina-
tion failed To reveal any animal cling
ing TO the boat, and the sound "as
undoubtedly due 10 some delicate
crustacean with which the waters are
filed. SAYS the Philadelphia Times. =.
The man who goes down to the sen
in chips hears many singular noises
difficult TO explain or understand,
most of which are made by animals
MS q rule not suspected. II Is not gen
orally believed that shells have the
faculty of making audible sounds, pnt
mollusks have succeeded In creating
widespread speculation. indeed, alarm,
among alperstitious fishermen.
When SIR Emerson rennent 1irst
visited Ceylon he learned that there
was M little excitement among the
fishermen and people living along
shore over the fact fhnt musical
sounds had been heard rising from the
sen. lie considered 1t n fish story,
but so persistent were those who had
heard the sounds that he determined
to investigate, and for that purpose
went out with fisherman who had
listened to the sounds not once but
| many times. The man said that they
were not made by n fish, but shell,
| and this was found TO be the case--
n small shell known IN the Tamil
language as the Oorle coolceroo cru.
| doc. or singing shell, The curious
name being manifest attempt to i'm.
| itate the sound made by the she'll.
| Sir Emerson Tcnnent sat In his boat
for some time listening carefully aud
was finally repaid by hearing the so-
| called music, which came mp from the
water, he says, like the gentle thrills
OF a musical chord or the faint yibra-
tions of wine glass when its rim
is rubbed by n moistened finger
This distinguished naturalist mada
careful study OF the sounds on many
occasions and found that IL was not u
sustained note, but made up Of mul-
titude OF tiny ones, each clear and
distinct In itself. and ranging from
high treble down 10 a bass When
the ear was applied to the gunwale Of
the boat the sound grew more IN
tense. and In some places MS the boat
moved on it could not be heard at all,
showing that the shells were collect
ed in groups The scientific name of
this music maker is Littornia loeriss
while another form equally musical If
Cerithium polastre.
Among the natives in Bombay some
years ago there was persistent ru-
mor.to the effect that cries and music
had been heard rising from the bay.
Finally party of English officers were
passing from the promontory Of Sal
settle to a beach near Sewce when
they were amazed to hear the sounds.
which In this instance were so loud
as to demoralize the native rowers,
who gave themselves up for lost The
sounds resembled the tolling Of bells,
the booming OF supposed gun. the
notes OF an Aeoian harp, while 9th
ers described the sound as a long
drawn-ont musical note Of great
sweetness common in these waters.
4 negro fisherman at Pascagoula
creek, Mississippi. astonished his pa
irons one day by the statement that
he was going 10 give up fishing, as the
water was haunted. Something, he
said, kept singing 10 him. Everyone
| supposed the man 10 be crazy or on
the borderland. but finally a white
man went fishing on his grounds and
heard a singular. muffled, musical
sound rising from the water all about.
which proved TO come from a shell
j common TO the locality. The writer.
who has taken many large conchs OF
/ various Kinds. has frequently heard
peculiar clicking noise uttered by
them, and the little she'll known as
Tritonia aborescens makes so distinct
| metallic sound that il. can be dis
tinctly heard a number effect away.
The natural conclusion is that if
shells utter sound they have some
/ meaning and are Consequently Ian
!, ehaes, but. it would be difficult to
nl oits fAik