The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-01-07
HAVE FISHES A MEMORY
DR.. EDINGER, Il GERMAN INVES
IIGATOR,
Thinks Not-At Least 1t is Very Much
Inferior to the Human Faculty.

Thinks Not-At Least 1t is Very Muci
Inferior to the Human Faculty.
Some of the higher animals-th
horse, dog and elephant, for instance
betray an intelligence closely akin tt
mans. They offer hints and sugges-
lions, too, of moral qualities. But al
one goes down the scale of animal life
traces of what are usually regarded as
human characteristics grow fainter ant
fainter. Thus, THE Popular Science
Monthly" printed an article few
months ago describing a series of ex-
periments designed to ascertain wheth-
err cats reason, and the writer reached
a negative conclusion. In like manner
an elaborate investigation, seeking tc
detect evidence of memory in fishes is
outlined in the latest Smithsonian re-
port to make its appearance.
This later inquiry was conducted in a
novel manner. DR.. l.. Edinger, a Ger
man naturalist, secured the publication
In the newspapers of a request for in
formation of a certain kind. Anglers,
fish breeders and others We're familiar
with the facts were asked to write to
the doctor on the subject. The underly-
ing motive of the research was scien-
tif1c, but the results possess a good deal
of popular interest. 1t has been assert
ed that the seat of memory in man and
the higher animals is the gray matter
of the brain But the most careful eX
animation of the fish fails to show any
gray matter, or cortex, at all. Hence,
rrnnf that fish
es exercise memory, it might be neces-
sary to revise the theory about the re-
lations between the cerebral cortex and
that function.
To l1isTequest DIR. Eldinger received
two hundred replies, all Of them of a
satisfactory character. Besides, he had
at his disposal the results obtained by
other Investigators, prominent among
whom was Bateson, who studied the
Habits of fishes in the aquarium at
Plymouth, England. In discussing the
available material the German natural
ist first considers the evidence that fish
have senses.
Taste and smell are practically iden-
tical in that they are excited by chemi-
cal irritation and under the same cir
cumstances. But while these senses en-
able a fish to find its food they do not
appear to be acute. Certainly some fish
are far from discriminating. A conger
eel, which was the subject of one of
DR.. Edinger's experiments, ate raw
meat that was smeared with iodoform,
camphor and extract of anchovies with
out hesitation. Still. it refused meat
that had been cooked or treated with
acid.
= In regard to power of vision, there
seems to be more or less difference be-
tween species 1t is conceded that near
ly all fishes can see. Yet there are some
kinds which will not touch worm that
is dangled before their eyes until they
smell it. Others, again, are keen
enough to discriminate between a poor
imitation of fly and good one. Most
fishermen believe, too, that it is neces-
sary to conceal the point of the hook in
living bait lest fish perceive 1t. But
the sense of sight in this order of crea
ton is not comparable with that of
BIRDS A hawk can detect it's prey from
an elevation of a hundred feet though |
it's victims be but "a mouse. This is not |
however, since a bird has a
more highly organized brain, and its |
nerves of vision lead to the gray mat
ter enveloping that organ.
AS to the possibility of fishes hearing |
DR.. Edinger evinces much scepticsm. |
Bateson could never satisfy himself |
that they detect sounds. The German
naturalist has received a number OF
stories about fish in aquariums and
ponds being summoned by bells at feed
ing time, but he finds on examination
that the influence of sight was not al
together precluded. There are two or ,
gans that lie near each other in the au-
1itory apparatus of the higher animals,
he cochea and the labyrinth. The |
former is lacking and the latter is pres
mt in fishes. And yet certain rest
essness when hands were clapped or a
revolver was fired was manifested by
goldfish even after the labyrinth was
'emoved.
There is, nevertheless, way by
which fishes become aware of heavy
ars, and perhaps gentle shocks as we'll
they have in the head and in a row
lIong their sides a lot of little organs
which seem to be sensitive to variations
n pressure. This apparatus will en-
lble fish to evade obstacles Including
he glass covering Of an equarium) even
lfter their sight has been destroyed
,tahl tells Of male fish found in Chi
lese waters which, when counting,
ashes impetuously toward bis mate,
tut stops just short of her. Yet she
ives evidence that she is aware of his
resence. Stahl believes that her "lat-
raj line apparatus reports the dis
urbance of the water by him.
The testimony which might be
bought to bear on the question of
memory is varied in character. though
D DR.. Edinger it Is not conclusive. Out
f two hundred correspondents, at
east one hundred and fifty note the
disability of modifying the natural
hyness of fish, or, in other words, tam g.,
lg them. In aquarums they will learn .
D follow the man who feeds them as
e walks around the reservoir One man :
aw that his fish We're fed by man
a scarlet coat. If a stranger put on ,
MS coat he could lure them equally
ell, while If the regular attendant
ore one of a different color he lost his :
,ntrol over the fish.
A point about which there is wide !,
Inference of opinion is whether a fish !,
aving once escaped from hook .,
voids it in the future. Does he recog-
ze it? AS for sharks, there can be lit
e question. Rusted fish hooks have
zen found inside of them. Pike will
Ike the same hook a second time on1v ,
far M inJ1teS a ftar a n l1pS1Jcceesf,11 Mt