The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-26

The Scienidae are probably the best
examples of the falsity of the above
charges. These fishes, which are called
"maigres," emit sounds having a mean
of about twenty-five seconds, and also
various notes, usually degenerating in
to a humnling sound, either from ex-
cess or want of intensity. When trav-
cling in schools, these sounds may be
! heard from depth of twenty fathoms.
II has been suggested that the story
Of the songs of the tabled sirens had
its origin in the utterances of schools
of these fishes.
When captured the scad, or horse
mackerel, the globefish, the grunt, the
pigfish and the hogfish make sounds
resembling the grunting Of a pig, while
one of the best known of the fishes
croaker, gets its name from the croak
it gives when taken into the boat. The
barbel and carp also croak when taken
out of the water.
A species Of Tettrodon is called sea-
frog" by the natives OF Malabar. India,
on account of the noise it makes when
captured. The red gurnard has earned
the name of "seacock' from the crow
! ing noise which it makes, while an
other species is called the piper" for
the same reason.
A siluroid found In the Rio Parana,
and called the armada is remarkable
for a harsh grating noise which 1t
emits when caught with hook and line,
and this can be distinctly heard while
1t is still beneath the surface. The
Corvina nigra, a FISH in the Tagus.
ernits sounds resembling the vibrations
of a deep toned bell. gong or pedal
type of an organ. Sea behring's, when
the net has been drawn over them,
have been observed to do the same,
also the fresh water bullhead of our
waters. According to Francis Day, he
obtained several sheat fishes, Macrones
vittatus, locally termed fiddler fish, -
at Madras, India, and ION touching one
which was lying on some wet grass, it
erected it's armed spines, emitting a
sound resembling the buzzing of bee,
and apparently in anger or fear"
An amphfbious siluroid fish, Clarias
Inacracanthus. on being taken into the
hand, is said to squeal and Shrek. Ger
tain Of the blennies also make a noise
similar to this. The big Jewish q. the
Gulf of Mexico will often break the
stiffness Of the night with his BOOM
Boom!" delivered monotonously for a
considerable time.
The legend of Pascagoula river and
its mysterious music, deemed super
natural by the Indians and the early
whites who heard II, has since been ex-
planned as the noise made by sea
drums. In speaking Of this still cur
rent legend a recent writer says. TT
may often be heard there on summer
evenings. The listener being on the
beach, or, yet more favOrably, in a
boat floating on the river, low, plain
tive sound Is heard rising and falling
like that of an aeolian harp, and seem :
ing 10 issue from the water. The
sounds. which are sweet and plaintlve,
but monotonous. cease as soon as there
is any noise or disturbance OF the
water"
In the days OF old Rome the murae-
mas, or sea cells. we're supposed to have
n regular language, low and sweet"
says an ancient writer and with an
intonntion 20 fascinating that few
could resiTt rs influence" and Il la
also said that the Emperor Agustus
even pretended 70 understand their
words.
When Humboldt visited the South
Seas IN 1908, about 7 ,. m. on Feb -
On extraordinary Noise startled tho