Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-04
By John N. Cobb

| HunQIeQ III all, 90
vocal sounds, some of which are really musical.
and as they are occasionally rendered in
| concert, it Is extremely probable that many
of the legends of the singing of the sirens
OF the sea really due to the music of the
fishes.
In the narrative of his voyage to the China
seas in 1924, Lieutenant John White. of the
| United States navy, says that when in the
| mouth of the Cambodia River he and his party
heard extraordinary sounds around the ship.
They were like the mixture of the bass notes
| of an organ the ring ing of bells, the cultural
cries of huge bullfrog and the noises that
seemed to come from an enormous harp They
| seemed to shake the very vessel These noises
| increased. and finally formed a universal
chorus both sides of the ship.
The interpreter told them that the cause
| was shoal of fish of fiat. oval form. which had
the power of adhering strongly to various
bodies by the mouth Later investigators
| have identified this fish as the dog s-tongue,
shaped much like sole.
Saint John speaks of the singing or hum
ming fish, which is found in the rivers of
Borneo. and attaches itself to the bottom of the
boat, producing sound somewhat like that of
jews harp struck slowly, though sometimes
it increases in loudness. as to resemble the
full sound or tones of an organ His boatmen
pointed out to him fish about four inches
long. marked with alternate stripes of black
and yellow across the back, as the author of
the music.
Another traveller, LIE Mose, describes a con-
cert of singing fishes. each one of which emits,
as in Russian music. only single note-full.
long. and grave, sound like that of an ophi-
cleide- These make up most extraordinary
ensemble: each eXecutant playing a unique
air in different key. The author of this mel
ancholy melody is a long fish. with large fiat
head, which the natives call "machovlan.
1t is greenish. spotted. with silvery belly. and
has short antenn8 on the snOut.
Prayer relates that night when he
on the Pontiniac. the largest river on the west
coast of Borneo, he heard very distinct music.
sometimes low, sometimes high, sometimes dis
tant. sometimes near 1t came from the
depths. like the song of the SIRENS sometimes
| sounding like powerful organ. sometimes like
| a sweet and harmonious Eolian harp. This
music. the natives declare. is produced by fish.
Music of the Sirens
|DUR1NG an exploration of the Bay of Pailon.
in the northern part of the Republic of
| Ecuador. Thornton, with his party. while skirt
ing shore one day at about sunset, all at once
| heard a strange sound extremely low and
prolonged Thornton asked his oarsman where
the noise came from. and was told that it was
kind of fish, called by some "sirens " and by
Others "muscoS."
| Advancing little farther, multitude of
different voices was heard. which initiated
perfectly the lower and middle tones OF
church organ heard outside the building. as
on the church porch. The concert began about
| sunset. and continued for several hours, the
| executants not being disturbed by the pres
ence of men. but not showing themselves at
| the surface of the water.
Sir ]. Emerson Tennent describes in a most
! fascinating manner experience he had with
the musical fishes of Battcalao, Ceylon. in
1848 They were said to be heard at night
and most distinctly when the moon was nearest
| the full. Engaging boatman on still. calm
| night they rowed out into the lake in the
nighborhood of one of the spots from which
the music said to emanate. And soon he
distinctly heard the sounds in question.
"They came up from the water" he says.
like the gentle thrills of a musical chord. or
| the faint vibrations of wineglass when its
rim is rubbed by moistened finger. 1t was
not one sustained note, but multitude of
tiny sounds. each clear and distinct in itself,
the sweetest treble mingling with the deepest
bass. On applying the ear to the woodwork
| of the boat. the vibration was greatly increased
in volume"
While most of the natives believed the music
to proceed from a fish, Others insisted that it
emanated from shell which was known by the
| local native name of "oorie cooleeroo cradoo"
| or crying she'll
Finny Concerts in Bombay
| DIR. BUST, in I847, reports the experience
of a party that was crossing the harbor of
| Bombay. India. in boat. 1t was about sun
| set, and all surprised at hearing long
distinct sounds like the protracted booming
| of distant bell. the dying cadence of an