The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-05

follow, for instance that tho little New
England minnow, or -idllifish.'' on which
Professor Parker conducted his expert
ments did hear, that the goldfish used
may not have boon quite incapable of
hearing. Indeed, Professor Tulburg, OF
the University Of Upsula, Sweden, who
has Just finished p o somewhat similar
series Of experiments with the sense or
gans of fishes, tells US that n flsh's actual
hearing is q matter not yet finally
proved either ono way or the other.
Hearing as has been pointed out by
various observers, was the last OF the
five senses to be developed. 1t Is found
only In tho higher organisms. Among
this yertebrates, for example, although
frogs, toads, turtles, and the like have q
certain sense Of hearing. yet Is efficiency
Ia low compared with that of birds, or.
particularly, of such highly organized an
imals as the dog and cat. All creatures.
moreover In which hearing has 80 FAR
boon found highly developed are animals
that live surrounded by air, and the
question has thus been raised as to
whether tho sense OF hearing could be
really developed at all In water And II
rearing under water were impossible,
fishes would obviously be deaf.
I IIAvB EARS. 55js
It was known as long ago as the bc-
ginning of tho seventeenth century Tint
fishes Ind what appeared to be ears, and
because they had ears the earlier scien-
lists concluded they could hear. Not
until late In the nineteenth century did
1t occur to anybody to advance tho BELIEF
that fish live In perpetual silence literally
feeling" sounds, not hearing them,
Iireidl, for instance, found that n gold
fish whose hearing apparatus had been
altogether removed responded to sound
lust like a normal goldfiHh and Bateson,
the English zoologlst, discovered that q
number OF different kinds of fishes, evl-
IDENTIFY affected by the sound OF severe
shocks or concusstons-- such, for example,
as the blasting of rocks or n violent blow
Of q stick on the wall OF an aquarium
were apparently deaf to minor noises
Ikreidl indeed. demolished very pretty
tradition, The trout In n basin at the
BenedIctlne monastery IN Krems, Austria,
were popularity supposed to assemble for
food on hearing the sound of n bells But
unfortunately the Viennese scientist dis
covered on Investigation that the trout
assembled just as promptly, bell or no
bell on catching sight of n man standing
on tho bank Of the basin, and that no
amount of bell ringing would make them
assemble unless the man was visible,
Naturally, however, one might argue,
II tho ears OF n certain fish do not serve
It to hear with. they must have some
other equally important office, and IT has
become clear. through the independent
Investigations Of several scientists during
the last two decades that they do play an
important part in maintaining the ball
ance OF the fish as 1t swms through tho
water Professor Lee, of Columbia Uni.
yersity III studying the action Of several
species OF fish when subjected to sounds
Of one kind or another, came to the con-
cluslon that the sole function Of their
ears so-cnled, WAS to keep their bodies ~
equilibrium. IN fact, according TO another
general concensus Of opinion at the begin.
ming OF the twentieth century, plscasorlal
need by no means constrained isaaK
Waltons angler to 'be patient and for-
bear swearing"
soAfE MAKE SOUNDS,
Professor Parker however, does not al
together agree with these other scientists,
He starts from the well-known fact that
certain fish, like tho sea-robln, make