Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-04-18
SENSITIVE TO SOUND
ACUTE POWERS OF HEARING WITH
WHICH FISH ARE ENDOWED.
Some Interesting Experiments That
Were Made TO Determine Just What
Manner of Noises or Motions Would
StartIe Trout.

Were Made TO Determine just what
Manner of Noises or Motions Would
startIe Trout.
There are three phases of sense in
fish particularly interesting to the an
gler-their exquisite powers of hearing, |
of seeing and their subtle, abnormal
sensitiveness to atmospheric influence.
With all our experience and study it is
doubtful if we have arrived at any
thing like a full estimate of the acute
sensitiveness with which fish are en-
dowed. l devote this article to hear
ing. BY hearing | must obviously be
understood to mean their power of APP
preciating the vibration caused by
sound, the conductor being either solid,
aerial or liquid.
In man sound detonates the eardrum
and in that way when we are under
water we discover little Ineligible
meaning from sounds. But the same
vibrations are undoubtedly received by
the exquisitely sensitive hearing intel
ligence of a fish, if l may use the
term, in different and far more i'm
pressive way. By intelligence l mean
an instructive recognition by their
bodies of some disturbance, just as
man recognizes passing breath of air.
1t takes the form of feeling.
/ came to the conclusion that l
would make few experiments. Here
are one or two facts: A friend entered
into it with me, and we bethought our
selves of certain well known trout in
our preserve which were always
there" Then we placed matched hur-
dies day or two beforehand so that
the fish might get accustomed to them
in such a way that we could approach
close to their haunts without being
seen and watch the unsuspecting trout
through a small hole cut in the straw.
When one was not at home, the other
generally was. My friend undertook
the noise making. the observation.
From the sound of q gunshot 500
yards away, which made our trout dis
tinctly start to the breaking of twig
three yards from the fish. which did
the same we tried all kinds of sounds,
shrill and dull and at varying dis
tances. and the sum of our experiments
convinced us of this; That our sensi-
lively organized friends felt the dis
placements of molecules through ether,
which we call sound, and the further
vibrating disturbance through what we
call water, which ! verify believe con-
ducts sensation to the fish as readily
as glass permits the penetration of
light to this paper, in proportion to the
distances and the character of the
sound. but that they did hear, or feel
rather, and with incredible quickness
too was conclusively demonstrated.
What they heard and were not alarm
ed at | cannot tell, but when they were
alarmed it was evident enough by the
same kind of start they give when theiI
chief enemy suddenly peeps over the
bank. In only two cases could | dis
cover actual fright, the fright that
sends them dOwn-a gunshot behind
the hurdle and Il heavy stamp of the
foot near by. 1t is noteworthy that the
shrill sounds seemed to startle then
most. For instance, policeman's wins
tie at ten yards sent one out into the
stream as if looking about for some
source of danger whereas a shout a
the same distance caused no detected
movement. Their way of shifting 6
little farther from the bank when they
have an inkling of danger is yer!
pretty side movement, well known NJ
doubt. 1t seems for the purpose Of
I watching the bank at better angle.
! The common manner of showing
, their alarm was by a sudden culver
, sometimes followed by sinking dowI
an inch or two, as much as to say
: whats up?" / very much doubt if
) ever crept up to my peephole without
: being detected, and yet | was careful
for, if you notice, a trout once on tn,
Qui vive gives no sign of alarm at {
second movement or noise. Once pre-
l. pared he Is immovable till he suddenly
|! darts off. You may throw your great
Z coat at him. and he either braves 1t stol
o Idly or bolts cleans away. Five minutes
l. perfect stiffness and they settle back t.
d confidence and then they were agaiI
= easily startled. / fancy the laws of re
J. fraction had something to do with i
t and that even from the sky they some
u times perceived my movements. hat
e often suspected this before
G Another conclusion: | believe the.
/ heard much they appeared not to.
sudden smack of the hands together
and there was decided culver, but |
bird rattle, begun very softly and grad
e ually brought up to its very loudest
o and no notice seemed to be taken. Blu
# doubtless, like ourselves. however lou'
d the noise, the gradient robs it Of it
i startle. However fanciful it ma,
e sound. of this | am thoroughly con
5, vinced-that water is such an immedi
S ate transmitter of vibration to fish tina
o they recognize sound from the air neal
ly as quickly as man. 1t is no argu
ment to say we do not when in it. w
have no need. Fish have. And be
$ cause they have they are providentiall
y endowed with supersensitivenessto tina
Ie particular nervous influence anon