The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-11-30
FISH EATEN BY FISH.
How the Little "KlIIles" Seek &c
Elude the Big Bass and Trout.

From the New York Tribune.
The species of fish of which the New
York aquarium has the largest number
but of which the public sees the least,
is the lxillifsh. Although they are only
from one to three inches long. they are
as quick witted as the brightest of the
big fish, They have to be, for they have
SO many enemies At the aquarium they
have no opportunity to display their
powers of adaptation. They have only
one opportunity to show what they can
do in this direction, but they make good
use of It. There is only an instant in
which to decide upon the use which
they will make of this opportunity. but
there is no hesitation in making the de-
cision.
The ''killies" are collected every day
for the aquarium by man employed
| for the purpose. They are needed In
| large numbers for they are used as
food for the other fish. Every day a
quantity of them are thrown to the
bass and trout alive. 1t is then that
they display their intelligence or In
stinct. whichever 1t is One is inclined
at first thought to believe it is the for
mer, for 1t is certain that they have
never been called upon to meet the
| enemy In tanks shaped like those into
which they are thrown. They quickly
adapt themselves to the conditions UNI
der which the conflict for survival must
be fought. The foe is as keen In the
hunt as the hunted. It is war of the
wits.
The striped bass are kept in one OF
the oval basins on the main floor. There
| are score or more of as fine speci-
mems of the species as a fisherman ever
| looked upon in 1t, and 1t Is tantalizing
to one fond OF fishing to watch them
lazily moving across the white enamel
bottom. A few minutes before 4 o'clock
| one Of the keepers approaches the tank
with a pail containing q hundred or two
of the little fish. He leans over the
edge dips his hands into the pail, takes
| out q handful and losses them into the
| center of the pool. There is a sudden
| commotion In the water. The bass are
rising to the surface with a rush. 1t is
now or never with the little fish. Do
| they lose their heads? No! The fight
between the bass and their supper is now
on. Will the bass have their supper
They have jumped for the largest of the
| ''killies,' leaving the smaller ones for
desert.
When by themselves, the smaller
'1xillies usually remain at the bottom
of their tank. They do not seek the bot
tom now. 1t is safer on top With
| SunuTy udTlS .IHeS SpTltlL loT the sue
of the tank. They know the habits of
| the bass. The bass jumps for their
| food. The small fish says to himself:
IF l can only get TO the side of the
| tank before the bass gets me, I have a
| fighting chance. Unless he is exception
ally clever he cannot get me without
| hurting his snout when he jumps for
me-" He succeeds in reaching the white
| tile side and finds there many of his fell
lows. They swim along the tank side in
groups, and the bass leave them alone
| for a time
But, unfortunately for them. the hun
! ter is as willy as his game. The larger
| ''killies" swallowed, he turns his atten-
ton to those gliding along the basins
| side. He creeps up behind them and
drives q number together. Then, skill
| fully darting upward at an angle which
| will Just save his snout, he opens his
mouth as he slides along the side, and
4 in tumble a half dozen of the little fell
lows, His jaws snap together above the
| water with crash which suggests that
he has struck against the side. He has
not, however, for he has learned from
experience He turns at Just the right
moment and drops to the bottom, leav-
| ing the top of the pool a choppy sea
| The "killies," with all their skill, lose
| the battle at last, for they are smaller
but they give the bass "a run for his
money"