The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-03-16
TELLS OF QUEER
FISH He FOUND
Professor Eig0nmann's Report
One Of Exceptional Interest
STINGAREES AND PIRAYAS.
They Wound 5athers and Sometimes
Cause Dsath-Shook of Electric EsIs
In South American Waters Sufficient
to Knock Out a Mantle Millions"
Keep Down Mesquite Pest.

to Knock Out q Mantle Millions"
Keep Down Mosquito Pest.
Professor G. III. Eigenmann Of Bloom
fngton, Ind. who is called the father
OF South American ichthyology," has
just returned from a visit to South
America, where he gathered many In
teresting facts regarding the economic
and scientific value of the fishes of
that country.
This is a subject" he said I'm a re-
cent issue of the Pan-American Bulle-
| tin, which Is of interest TO scientific
men on account of their diversity and
the many problems of distribution and
evolution which they present" He
says the fishes have played an impor-
tant part In the development Of the
races that have in the past inhabited
the continent and they will play an
important part In the continents fu-
ture development.
There are about 1900 different sorts
known In the fresh waters OF Central
and South America. About 800 of these
are found I'm the Amazon basin, I'm
which they have undergone their prtn-
cipal evolution and from which they
have migrated In all directions, becom-
ing different in the various river basins
I'm which they have found permanent
homes.
The fishes of Patagonia In the colder
regions Of South America are quite
different from those OF the Amazon
and are I'm a large measure related to
Australian forms, while those Of the
Amazon have their nearest relatives In
Africa.
Dangerous to Touch.
Among the fish that appeal to the
Imagination the one that takes first
rank Is the electric EEL" be said. 1T
grows to about FIVE feet In length and
LIS capable OF knocking a man down IL
he receives the full shock. IL Is album
dant from Guiana and Venezuela to
the Guapore. Humboldt gives a fan
tastic account Of the capture OF the
eel Wild horses were driven into the
pools with the cells, and after the cells
had exhausted themselves they could
w hNhahg SupAuACu- ~ ID DoSSAbiC
that on some occasions this method
may have been employed. but IT GER
tainly is not usual"
Professor Eigenmann, who Is dean
Of the graduate school of Indiana uni
versity. says that his personal expert
ence with electric cells was ludicrous
rather than serious. With s. e. Shi-
4 dnTnr M nnn4c&.-A - -n -
short seine In a pool OF a small creek
opposite Tumatumari, In Guiana, and
caught five cells, the largest of which
was three feet long. They received a
number OF shocks that caused more
commotion, he says, than damage.
but 1t is uncanny to say the least"
said the professor, "to be wading along
In some quiet pool and from time to
time come In contact with one OF these
live wires At night two cells caught
with a net full Of Topping fishes quick
ly put a Quietus on all motion inside
the net"
Stin0s With Spine of its Tail.
Another remarkable fish and one
equally feared, with which Professor
Eigenmann had a personal experience.
Is the stingaree. 1t Is found In all riv-
ers and can infict a very severe wound
with the spine Of its tail. Another
dangerous member of the flnny tribe
Is the piraya, or pirai. Pirayas have
very formidable teeth and jaws. Ordi-
nary net and lines will not hold them
and smaller wire leaders used on fish
Ing lines are neatly severed. The lar
ger pirayas are said to snip of a toe or
a finger or to cut out a mouthful OF
flesh. Sometimes these formidable fish,
es are In such numbers that they are
dangerous to life. Mutilation Of horses,
other fishes and men by these pests Is
frequent, and occasionally death Is
caused. The piraya is found from Gui-
n and Venezuela to Peru. Bolivia
and Paraguay.
Another fish with an evil reputation
is a small catfish which sometimes
causes the death Of bathers.
ION the other side Of the ledger the
account is most favorable" continued
the professor. pools and swamps
swarm with minute fishes, without
which the mosquito pests would be
much greater. Many Of these fishes.
the so called Millions measure scarce
ly n inch when entirely full grown.
The millions swarm everywhere In the
swampy lowlands. eating the larvae Of
billions of mosquitoes. Among the lar
gest fishes are the arapaima of the
EsseQuibo and Amazon rivers and the
several different sorts OF catfishes. The
arapaima reaches a length Of fifteen
feet and 400 pounds In weight
"Allied to these catfishes are two
groups OF armored fishes, the iorica-
rias and the hassars. The former and
their allies are covered with small
bony plates, which are sometimes arm
ed with formidable spines."