The times., 1901-04-07
FISHES THAT CLIMB TREES
A Queer Specimen of the Finny
Tribe at the Smithsonian.
Something About the Cobb and His
Habits-W on Land by the Aid
of His Fins and snaps Up Unsus-
pecting Flies Like Frog.

In these days of rarvels in invention
and discoveries the announcement OF
something new fails to arouse little more
than d wise elevation OF the eyebrow or a
few "Ahsr' Discoveries Of new and
hitherto unexplained solutions of perplex-
ing problems in the domains OF mechan-
les and nature have become so frequent
as to occasion little more than ordinary
interest Yet when at the beginning OF
the twentieth century it is asserted in
sober earnest that there are fishes which
walk about on the ground and climb
trees and jump through the air to catch
a passing fly, one begins TO question the
integrity of his own or the narratOr's
mental processes. He looks into the eyes
of the man of science with a doubling
look which changes when he sees the
freak fish face 10 face
The average Washingtonian is justly
proud of the Smithsonian Institution and
of the scientific men who are working
there and when one OF these men tells
him of strange things such assertions are
apt to be accepted as the truth. This was
the case when a Times reporter was told
by Dr. Bean, the wel-knOwr authority
on fishes. of this tree-cIimbing, Perambu-
lating piscatOrial fy-catcher-
The fish is called the Cobb. Ii Is about
eleven inches long and weighs when full
grown about five or six ounces. At first
glance il looks ike sure-enOugh fish, but
a second look suggests that bullfrOg and
a fish got mixed up somehow and grew
together. the bulifrOg. in the compromise.
taking the head and shoulders, and the
fish the body and tall Unlike the nsh, the
eyes stick up on the top of the head Ike
a frogs eyes. the resemblance 70 which is
irresistible The peCtOTal fins are large
and feshy and long enough 10 permit the
Cobb to raise himself and look about like
a seal. The mouth IS ike the frog ), and
does not at all resemble that OF a fish
But it is in the pectOral and ventral tins
where the principal interest in the Cobb
lies. The pectOral fms are large and
fieshy and fat. When the fish stands up
on them and raises himself UP on them TO
look around. the fins planted on the
ground like the hippers or fOTelegS Of the
seal " hich they closely resemble Unlike
the fms of common fishes, the tieShy part
extends far down the nm and is. in fact,
muscle which enables the Cobb not only
TO walk about but TO cling on TO a branch
OF "A tree or To a reed In CEnging to a
branch the fins grasp il firmly like
monkeys paws The fish is assisted in
its hold on the twig by means or ITS ven
tral fins which are not entirely separated
like those of most other fishes. but, on
the contrary. have grown together about
midway from the points OF articulation
or attachment TO the body. thus leaving
an open or Cuplike cavity which IS used
as a sucker and aids in fastening the
BODY TO the bFduCn or Tttu III the same
manner as the octopus or devilfsh fast
ems itself TO the rocks at the bottom OF
the ocean. BY planting this sucker firm
" on 10 the branch of the Cobb eXhauSts
the air in the ventral fin cavity and is
held firmly to the branch until il wishes
to let so.
1T is amusing to see these little fellows
perched on reeds and vegetation which
grow on the marshes along the seaCOast,
said DR.. Bean. holding up a jar contain
ing the Smithsonian specimen of the
queer nsh. The Gobi lives in the streams
and waters OF the Indo-Paci6C Coast and
the Burmese River. They have not been
found in Atlantic waters. They come out
on the mud flats and bottoms when the
tide has gone out and hunt for small
crabs and other sea food. They viii
climb up on TO the lOw-lying branches OF
small bushes or reeds and snap at pass
ing flies and other insects like tOads and
frogs When they are perched up there
they will move their head around and
raise themselves on their front fins like
a prairie dog, as If on the alert FOR dan
ger it is usual to find them IN great
numbers thus engaged When a fy or
insect passes within easy jumping DIS
tance they will spring at il with unerring
aim and deyOur it eagerly.