The Bourbon news., 1913-09-30
F|NNY TRIBE CAN
DISPLAY EMOTION
SCIENTISTS SAY THEY DO IN A
LIMITED WAY, JUST THE SAME
AS ALL LAND ANIMALS.
CHANGE OF COLOR SAID
TO BE THE BEST INDEX.
HAVE VIOLENT TEMPERS AND
FREQUENTLYF FIERCE COM
BATS ENSUED AMONG MALES.
Chicago C-ribune.)

(CnlcagO -rlbune.)
Fish have been referred to "as
voiceless and emotionless creatures"
but scientific investigation appears to
demonstrate the fact that fishes. as
well as land animals, are largely
swayed by the same emotions. and
that they, in a limited way. give ex-
preston thereto. Among such means
of expression may be mentioned their
habit of erecting their scales of fins.
when under the influence of danger or
terror, pretty much in the same
way that feathers and hairs are
erected in birds and animals.
lnasmuch as fish have eyes without
movable eyelids, cheeks incrushed
with pony plates or covered with
hard scales and internal ears, one
may hardly expect to find special
expressions, as of joy, pain, astonish-
ment, etc., so well marked in the
case of the higher animals, wherein
the play of the features gives an in
sight into their emotions.
In fish change of color is one of
the best indexes to the emotions.
When the fish is sick it's color is apt
to be faint, while in health the color
stands out vivid. One of the most
striking examples of the effect of the
emotions on color is that of the stick
elback. This fish shows a violent
temper. Indeed, it might be said
to swim about with a chip on it's
shoulder. During the breeding season
fierce combats among the males are
OF frequent occurrance. When fight
inb their brilliant colors stand out
with extraordinary vividness, but
upon the conclusion of the combat
the defeated one, his gay colors now
quite faded, seeks refuge among his
more peacecable companions.
The parrot fishes are also noted for
their pugnaciousness, and as in the
case of the stickelback, the color
changes are extraordinarily noticea-
ble
So far from being ::'voiceless" fishes
in the case of more than 300 species,
are known to produce sound. The
Sciaenidate are probably the best ex-
amples. These fishes, which are call
ed "migres," emit sounds having a
duration of about twenty-five seconds,
and also various tones, usually de-
generating into a mere humming,
tensity. When these fish are travel
ing In schools the sounds given out
by them may be heard from a
debth OF twenty fathoms. More than
once it has been suggested that the
story of the sirens had it's origin in
the utterances of schools of these
fish.
When captured the shad, or hose
mackerel, the globe fish, the grunt,
the big fish and the hog fish all emit
sounds resembling the grunt of pig;
while one, the species known along
the Atlantic Coast-"the croker
its name from the croke it gives
when taken into boat. The barbel
and the carp also croke when taken
from the water
There is a species of Tetrodon
called "seafrog' by the natives of
Malahar on account of the noise it
makes when captured. The red CUR.
nard has been dubbed the "seaback"
by reason of it's Growing, while an
other species is called the "piper" for
a similar reason.
"The armado," a siluroid found in
the Rio Parana, is most remarkable
for the harsh grating sound it emits
when caught with hook and line. is
said that this noise can be heard
distinctly while the fish is vet be-
meath the surface.
Thre is fish of the Tagus, the
Corvian nigra, that emits sounds re-
sembling the vibrations of a deep
toned bell, gong, or pedal pipe of an
organ. Sea herrings, when the net
has been drawn over them have been
observed to do the same, and similar
accounts are givenof the freshwater
bullhead Of our own waters.
An amphibious silouroid fish. Clar
las macracanthus, is said, on being
taken into hand, to squeal and
Shrek, and certain of the blennies
emit similar sounds. In the Gulf of
Mexico the big Jawfish breaks the
stiffness of the night and the waters
with his sonrous "booml boom,"
In the old Roman days the mur-
aenas, or sea eels, were supposed to
be possessed of a "language'-'low
and sweet" it is denOminated by one
ancient writer, "and with an intona-
tion so fascinating that few could re-
slst its influence" The Emperor
Augustus, it was contended, was the
oniy HiOi CdI WHO COulu understand
this Language"
Formerly it was believed that fish
could not hear, "since they had no
ears" but anatomists have proved
that these creatures have, indeed. or
gans of hearing, though not external
ones. InaSmuch as water is of a
greater destiny than the atmosphere
the sound uttered in water do not
penetrate it readily, and, unless
they are sufficiently loud to produce
well-defined vibrations, are not apt to
be heard by fishes unless they
should chance to be close to the sur
face.
1t is probable that most of the fish
cannot distinguish differences of tone.
as in the case of animals on land.
There are well-authenticated instan-
ces of fish responding to noise in the
atmosphere, a fact that would seem
to indicate that certain finny tribes
are possessed of better deyelopment