Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-18
TELLS OF DEv|lF|SH
DR.. Gill of National Museum
Describes the Great Ray.
TlMID AND NOTA MAN-EATER
Inhabitant of Warm-Water Seas,
Staying Near Shore.
MOVES IN SUBMARINE FLIGHT
Resembles Enormous Bats-Tows
Vessels by Anchor Line-one
Young One at Birth.
MOVES IN SUBMARINE FLIGHT

The bringing together of many inter-
estinS facts hitherto known only to a few
scattered men of science about the gener-
ally dreaded devilfish has been the result
of an authoritative study Of the subject
recently completed by DR.. Theodore Gill.
associate in zoology in the United States
National Museum. DR.. Gill has summar-
lied his studies in an official publication
just issued by the Smithsonian Institu-
ton, of which the National Museum Is a
branch.
Although the name devilfish has often
been applied to different species of cutie
fish, with their eight long, wavy arms, to
a. kind of shark, and also in California
to a gray whale, the giant fish best known
as such is technically the great ray.
Not a Man-Eater.
The devifsh. or great ray, is fiat, said
to be sometimes thirty feet across, with
two great supple arms or head fins shaped
somewhat like elephants tusks protrud-
ing from the front of its head Although
many thrilling tales of adventure with
this fish have from time to time found
their way into print, there is not Yet on
record all authoritative report OF a devil
fish having ever eaten human being
says. so far from beng large animals
and occasionally a man or so, as has been
alleged, appears to he chiefly the small
crabs, shrimps and other crusIaceanS, and
young or small fishes, which swarm IN
certain places near the surface of rhe
water. Rarely does one prey on large
fishes.
Submarine Flight.
The devilfishes are Inhabitants of warm
water seas, and as a rule do not venture
from the shore very far out on the high
seas. once in while one is seen as far
north New York, or another in the
Mediterranean. In United States waters
they have been more frequently reported
from South Carolina and the gulf states
and from Lower California They often
swim in schools, or shoals, and have "a
curious habit of turning somersaults near
the surface, sometimes leaping as high as
ten feet out of the water and churning
the sea into foam. If the devilfishes
could live and move in the air, In their
mode of progression. they would probably
be said to fly, for a sort OF submarine
flight is really what is accomplished. 1t
is by flaps Of the long wing-like fms that
they speed themselves along.
A naturalist who observed devilfishes in
action says that he thought no more dia-
bolical creature could be imagined. They
resembled enormous bats, and in follow
ing one another around in circle raised
the outer tip of one Of the long wing
like fms high out of the water in a grace
full curve. the other being deeply sub
merged. They might be seen now gliding
down with flying motion of the wings,
sweeping, gyrating upward with twist
ing vertical motion marvellous in its per-
feet grace; now they flashed white, again
black, SO that one would say they were
rolling over and over. turning somer-
saults.
Towing Vessels.
While swimming along, the two great
arms or feelers OF the devilfsh are
whirled about In constant motion. like the
tentacles Of a squid. When these tenta-
cles come in contact with anything they
close upon it. 1t is generally believed
that This clasping, although at times doing
considerable harm to fishermen and their
boats, is largely automatic, and that upon
the whole the devilfish is timid rather
than fighting animal.
1t is hard to believe, however, that the
devilfish is always timid, when it has been
known Ito weigh ships anchor and run
with the vessel league or two and bring
her back against the tide, to almost the
same place; nor can the devilfish gener-
ally be said to be so accommodating.
Nevertheless. running off with vessels is
not an infrequent occurrence in connec-
ton with the devilfish. One case is on
record where a shoal OF devilfish, sweep
ing by at flood tide, approached SO near
the shore as to come in contact with a
water fence, the firm posts of which they
seized and tried to tear up till they dashed
the water into a foam with their power
full wings.
One Fish at a Birth
1t is a popularity of the deviltish that
instead of laying many thousands or even
millions Of eggs, it normally has only a
single young one at birth.
1t appears, however, that to properly
reproduce the species only a single young
one is necessary, for a baby devilfish,
sometimes being as broad as five feet
and weighing twenty pounds or more, is
well able to take care of itself. In a
number of respects the young fish grows
I'D under nursing and training remarka bly,
like that of a human being. 1t is nour-
ished, for instance, from its mothers
milk