The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1900-07-27
Ghelrmorraf- Star
SHELLS THAT ARE MUSICAL


Philadelphia Times.
Anyone who is at all an observer or
listener cannot fai. to have heard the
peculiar clicking sound on the water
in Southern California.
The writer first heard il after il long
day OF fishing. when |, ing in the bot
tom VI the boat below the water line.
IL came like the snap Of an electric
shock, continually repeated, loud
enough tn 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 u fish. Yet look
ing overheard into the clear water
nothing could been seen. though the
sharp resonant click came continu-
Ously all along the water line.
The closest examination failed to
reveal any animal clinging to the
boat, and the sound was undoubtedly
due to some delicate cfustacean with
which the waters are filled.
The man who goes down to the sea
In ships hears many peculiar noises
difficult to explain or understand,
most OF which are made by animals
as rule not suspected. 1t is not
generally believed that shells have
the faculty Of making audible sounds,
but such is the fact. and some of the
smallest mOllusks have succeeded in
creating widespread speculation, in
deed alarm, among superslitious fish.
ermen.
When Sir Emerson Tennent first
visited Ceylon he learned there was
no little excitement among the fish.
ermen and people living along shore
over the fact that musical sounds had
been heard rising from the sea- He
considered IL fish story, but So per.
sistent were those who had heard
the sounds that he determined TO IN.
vcstigate. and for that purpose went
out with fisherman who had lis.
tened tn the sounds not one, but
many times. The man said they
were not made by a fish, but a shell.
and this was found to be the case
small shell known in the Tamil Ian.
guage or tho Oorle cooleerD cradoo
Or singing shell. the curious name be.
ing a manifest attempt To initiate
the sound made by the shell. Sir
Emerson Tennent sat in his boat for
some time listening carefully, and
was finally repaid by hearing the so.
called music. which came from up the
water he says, ''like the gentle thrills
OF a musical chord, or the faint vi.
bratiOns OF a wine glass when its rim
is rubbed by u mOistencd Anger"
This distinguished naturalist made
careful study OF the sounds on
many occasions, and found that it
was not a sustained note, but made
up Of multitude OF tiny ones, each
clear and distinct in itself, and rang.
ing from high.class treble down to
a bass. When the ear was applied to
the gunwale OF the boat the sound
grew more intense, and in some
places AS the boat moved on it could
not be heard at all, showing that the
shells were collected in groups. The
scientific name OF the music.maker IS
LitOrina l0criS, while another form
equally musical Is Cerithium polas.
tire.
Among the natives In Bombay some
years ago there was a persistent ru-
NOR to the effect that cries and music
had been heard rising from the bay.
Finally a party Of English officers
were passing from the prom0ntory OF
Salsette to Il beach near Sewee, when
they were amazed to hear the sounds,
which in this instance was SO loud as
to dcmOralize the native r0wers, who
gave themselves up for lost. The
sounds resembled the tolling Of bells,
booming OF supposed gun, the notes
Of an aleolian harp, while others de-
scribed the sound as a long drawn-out
musical note OF great sweetness, com
mon in these waters.
A negro fisherman at Pascagoula
Creek, Miss, ast0nished his patrons
the other day by the statement that
he was going to give up fishing, as the
water was haunted. Something,
he said, kept singing to him. Every
one supposed the man to be crazy, or on
the borderland, but finally u white
man went hshing on his grounds and
heard a singular, mufflled, musical
sound rising from the water all about,
which proved to come from a shell
to the locality. The writer,
who has taken many large conchs OF
various kinds. has frequently heard u
peculiar clicking noise, uttered by
them, and the little shell known as
Trit0nia arb0rescens, makes so dis
tinct a metallic sound that it can be
heard a number OF feet
away.
The natural conclusion Is that II
shells utter sound they haye some
meaning and are consequently a Ian
Ruage; but II would be difficult to
prove this.
TRUE HISTORY.
An inspiring purpose OF the Confed.
crate Veterans AAStIctatiOn Ia IN pre.