Evening star., 1909-03-14

capacious gastric sac beyond it, goes one of its
too curious brethren.
but two inches in length, has ever been cap
tured. This was found floating on the sea
nearly two hundred miles northeast of Madeira
in May, 1877, and for many years remained
undescribed in Christiania, Norway. When
taken out of the water it was still alive, though
it had recently swallowed fish considerably
longer than itself; this being possible owing to
its being fitted with sort of receiving pouch
on the under side and tail end which is capable
of considerable stretching.
A curious fish found off the Mauritius and
Japan is the mailed fish, about six inches in
length, which lures its prey within reach of its
jaws by means of a luminous disk on each side
of the lower jaw.
Saved by Its Barbels
TN European fresh water is to be found very
large Siluroid known as the wells. Its head is
large, broad, and depressed, fully as long as
the trunk itself, while the tail is compressed
and longer than the head and trunk together.
The entire fish is destitute of scales and COW
cred with a smooth, slippery skin like eel.
The snout is very short, the mouth broad,
With the lower jaw longer and very extensible.
There are six barbels round the mouth, two
o. which. situated on each side of the upper
jaw before the eye, are very long, extending
nearly to the tall the other four are much
shorter, and arranged in pairs on the chin.
movements, the wells would be badly handi-
capped the of life if not for these barbels
especially those of the upper jaw, which can
be moved voluntarily in every direction. In
moving leisurely about the fish uses them con-
stantly in feeling its way and at the same time
they serve to attract other fishes which mistake
them for worms, When the wells perceives
its prey close enough to be seized, it makes a
dart, and rarely fails to capture it.
This One Has Double Eyes
THE South American Anableps obtains much
of its food on the surface of the water, and to
aid it in this purpose has eyes SO divided that
it possesses apparently four, owing to the
cornea and iris being divided by transverse
bands, so that the two pupils are observed on
each side, while the other parts of the eye are
single.
In pursuing its prey the fish leaps along on
the surface, partly out of the water like frog
and the peculiar arrangement of its eyes per
mits it to see with the upper portion of the
eve when out of the water and with the lower
portion when below the surface.
An Indian fish gifted with a most unusual
contrivance for procuring its food is the sly
Eplbulus. In general appearance this fish
strongly resembles the hoghsh of our Atlantic
coast. If it is closely watched, a method of
procedure will be observed that can be com
pared only to the popular game called snatch
ing.
The fish moves toward school of smaller
frv and when within a short distance from a
victim the entire mouth seems to shoot out
independently of the fish and grasp the prey,
the trap returning again SO quickly that unless
the action is expected it is not observed, and
the fish does its deadly work slyly that fire.
quently a number of victims are devoured be-
fore the alarm is given. The mouth of the fish
may be said to be telescope, capable of sew
eral inches protrusion, and naturally return
ing to its place, the parts fitting so closely to-
gether that such an arrangement would never
be suspo cted.
One of the deep sea fishes Euryphdryu1
peleCdnofdeS, has eellike body with a head
about thrice its body's bulk, and jaws opening
exactly like the mandibles of pelican. This
amazing mouth splits the big head right In two
lengthwise. In feeding it lowers its under jaw
and uses 1T as a scoop or net, and by pushing
along fills it with material of any kind, in some
way not now known sitting out the choice bits.
Equipped with Electric Batteries
MOT the least remarka BILE of the members of
the finny tribe those which secure their
food by means of the electric batteries with
which Nature has fitted them. The best known
of these is the Gymnotus electric eel of
South America 1t possesses four batteries,
which extend nearly the whole length of it's
body. The current passes from before back
ward and, remarkable to relate, extends
through the animals own brain. Large ones
tthev grow to six or more feet in lengthy have
been known to kill horse mule outright
with single discharge.
The thunderfish (Maid pfernrns) one of the cat