New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-13
FISH THAT SING IN CONCERT.
Strange Musical Sounds Produced by Ger
tain Finny Denizens of the Sea-

Do FISH sing? 1t is said that they do and IL is
possible that from their music has arisen the
legends of the singing of the sirens of the
Some most fascinating stories have been told of
these musical sounds OF the ocean which are at
tributed to singing fish. Humboldt tells how. being
in the South Sea, the whole became frightened
by q strange noise that resembled the beating of
drums in the open air. 1t was at first thought
that this noise produced by the wind. but
It heard clearly alongside the ship. chiefly for
ward. It resembed the noise of boiling water
when the bubbles burst. Then II feared that
successvsy to ali parts Of the vessel and about
m eSs e ene 1t snoas of s
Lieutenant John White. Of the United States
camboda River he and his party heard o1tTaordi
nary sounds -. AROUND the ship They were IKE the
of bells, the cultural cries Of huge bullfrog and
Ts To the an
noises increased, and finally formed universal
"a
ter told them that the cause was shoai Of ash
Of nat oval form which had the power OF adherins
The go or drGmsR Which nSab, the At
landc coast, also make noises that are often heard
ct 1hs
s R6 as. ahG Gse e Flo ID Mso TsG found
musical fish which because OF this psculisri,y are
During expioratop Of the Bay q Pa,lon II
Thornton with his party, while skirtins shore
day at about sunset, all at once heard strange
thought at first to be the humming of large bee
insect Of kind Seeing nothing OF the kind.
noise came from. ana was told that it was a kind
OF fish. called by some sirens" and by others 'nu-
sicos' Advancing little further, multitude OF
different voices were heard that initiated perfectly
the lower and middle tones OF church organ,
heard outside the building. IN the church porch
The concert began about sunset and continued sew
eral hours the executants not being disturbed by
the of men, but not showing themselves at
the surface of the water
Another travellers lie Mose. describes concert
OF singing fishes. each OF which emits. as In
Russian music, only single note-ful long aQd
make up a most extraordinary ensemble: each
executant plays a unique air IN different key.
The tones arise everywhere-before. behind. in the
boat. and the water in which they are produced
melancholy melody is long fish with large fat
head. The natives call II ''machovian.' II Is
sreensh, spotted, with sivery belly and has short
antenne the snout.
Prayer relates that night when he was on
the Pontiniac. the largest river the coast
times low, sometimes high. sometimes distant.
sometimes near IL came from the depths like the
song OF the sirens sometimes sounding like a
powerful organ sometimes like a sweet and har-
much more clearly and perceives that it comes
from several distinct voices. This music. the
natives DEC lare. is produced by fish.
Several other kinds Of fish able to sing, but
'doree' John Dory). fish OF st. Peter. mani
tests it's presence at low lido by sort OF cuckinx
that has given IL the name OF water chicken
'baliste" OrigEer fish, gives out platntive and
melancholy sounds like the. creaking OF wagon
wheel a prlstipome initiates exactly the Guack
Of a duck. Even the funny thrust it's head
out OF the water and sing IN voice that ini-
tates crying infant-tIondon Answers.