Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-01-28
~SHOOTrNG FISH" OF
SIAM REAL EXPERTS
Piscatorial Freaks Gould
Teach Naval Cunners.

New XOrk.-ln Nhe WatefS sSoiIic-
where east of Sue1, lives a shoot
ing fish" that can give naval gun
ners a lesson or two when 1t comes
to Workmanship. This strange cfea-
ture, known as the ''sarcher fish,
lives largely on insects which ut
shoots from overhaneng branches
with bullets of water.
Even cigarettes have ,been extinr
;guished. by these nssaine sharp
shooters, according to Hugh M.
Smith, former fisheries advisor to the
Kingdom of Siam. During his stay
in the East, Mr.. Smith studied these
fish in the Philippines, French In
do China, Siam, Malaga, Buena and
India.
''Wild fish planted in a large pend in
the compound Of my residence In
Bangkok were under close observa-
ton for a number Ct years." writes
Mr.. Smith in ''Nat,Ma1 History" pub
fished by the American museum
Most Effioient.
.fOf the oriental fresk-water fishes
with which am acQusinted in the
Wild state, none gives sa,ch an i'm
preston of Intelligence and efficien-
cy as does Tox0tes (the archer fish,.
This mpressa0R grows on an observ-
er as he notes the purposeful way
in which a fish Snoves about in a
stream, canal, OF pond; the zeal and
thoroughness with which it explores
aquatic and overhanging land plants
for insects; the high development OF
its sense of sight in both air and va
ter; the skill displayed in dislodg-
ing insects and Selling them as they
fall into the water; the alertness in
avoiding danger; and TIE readiness
in adapting itself to Life in small
ponds and responding to the atten-
tons of persons who provide food.
"a friend of mine, distinguished
scion of the royal family OF Siam,
and an ardent student of fishes, had
a residence on the broad Menam
Chao Phya above Bangkok and used
to entertain American and Euro
pean guests with shooting-fish per-
formances. A veranda on which he
took many of his meals was direct
ly over the water, and under it Tox-
otes could be found almost daily, at
tracted by scraps Of fish. meat,
chicken, and prawn which were reg
ularly thrown from the table. BY
means of a spider or cricket dan
gled on a black thread from the end
of short bamboo pole. the shoot
ing fish could readily be induced to
display their craftsmanship, some
times saw spent watery pellets
splash on the ceiling of the veranda
10 to IL feet about the river, and wit
messed many other exhibitions which
confirmed my respect for the intelli-
gence and skill of Toxotes.
Extinguish Cigarettes.
ION two occasions to my personal
knowledge, when my friend sat on
the veranda eating his breakfast,
reading newspaper, smoking Gig
arctic, and apparently neglectful of
his fish wards, his attention was at
tracted by well-directed shots which
~tinguished his cigarette.
r,r re with which the watery
pellets may strike an oD,scc! IS some
times most astonishing to human
observer. An insect may be knocked
high in the air or may fall on the
bank beyond a fish's reach. At short
range the drops may strike a per-
sons face with a distinctly singing
sensation. On many occasions, dur
ing exhibitions in Siam, spider at
the end of thread hanging from
the end Of a pole was knocked far
up on the thread or even over the
pole. Spent shots could be heard to
splash against the roof of veran-
da over the water"