THE FEELERS OF THE BARBED MULLET 



provided with taste-buds. Although it is of another 

 sort, its flair serves, none the less, the same purpose, 

 and it is capable of considerable intensity. For several 

 yards, hundreds of yards sometimes, many fishes, per- 

 ceiving tastes, go. after the sensations which come and 

 affect them from afar. 



Fishermen base a good many of their customs on the 

 existence and capacity of this olfactory flair, both in 

 fishing with the line, bow-net fishing, and when using 

 other tackle. The fish is attracted by a bait. It perceives 

 it from afar and comes nearer and nearer until in 

 the end it is caught. When the fisherman is partic- 

 ularly anxious for a good catch, he makes preparations 

 in advance by putting into the water strongly tasting 

 substances. A bow-net is baited by putting in it bits 

 of chopped-up flesh or substances which have strong 

 savour. Some baits are better than others because, 

 other things being equal, they give out a more attractive 

 flavour. Flavour and not odour, though the two often 

 go together. Odours are for us and for the fisherman, 

 the flavours are reserved for the fish. Judging by our- 

 selves, we should be tempted to call such sensations 

 olfactory, and the organs which assure them are in 

 fact called olfactory, so identical is their behaviour. In 

 reality, it is all a matter of liquid substances in a liquid 

 water, and what we find is a real sense of taste of external 

 origin like a sense of smell. 



Now we can understand what the senses of fishes 

 consist of, and how they are exercised. It is the same 

 with the other creatures living in the same environment. 

 The sense of touch, so useful on land, is less necessary 

 here. The density of the water, making bodies lighter, 

 lessening the action of gravity, makes it less important. 

 To affect its sensitivity the organism needs other excit- 

 ants than contacts. They are too clumsy for it. It 

 must have vibrations, radiations of energy, reactions 

 which can make themselves perceived. Impressions of 

 taste are among the last. The water, among the pro- 

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