158 A HISTORY OF FISHES 



have been variously described as creaking, drumming, humming, 

 purring, whistHng, etc., and are quite loud enough to be audible 

 to a person standing on the deck of a ship. It has been 

 demonstrated that the noise can be heard when the fish is 

 eighteen metres below the surface of the water and the ear 

 of the observer two metres above the water. In the Malay 

 Peninsula and other tropical countries the native fishermen 

 make use of the sounds to locate shoals of fish, one of their 

 number "listening in" and instructing his companions where 

 to cast their nets. The Meagre or Weak-fish [Sciaena aquila), a 

 species occurring round our own coasts, is abundant in the 

 Mediterranean, and its vocal powers have been the subject of 

 comment and discussion in all ages. It is not improbable that 

 the Greek myth of the song of the Sirens which occurs in the 

 Homeric fable arose from the sounds made by shoals of these 

 fishes. A curious point about the Sciaenids is that some species 

 make no sounds at all, in others only the males make a noise, 

 and in others, again, both sexes are responsible. The drumming 

 seems to take place especially at the breeding season, and is 

 probably a signal for the assembling of the shoals. 



^ In the Gurnards ( Triglidae) the sounds are of a somewhat 

 diflferent nature, and have been variously described as grunting, 

 crooning, snoring, etc. UnHke the Drums, these fishes do not 

 make use of rapidly repeated sounds and rolls, but produce 

 short, sharp sounds, repeated at more or less lengthy intervals. 

 The grunts can be imitated, according to Mr. Tower, " by 

 drawing the forefinger and thumb towards each other over the 

 surface of an inflated rubber balloon. . . ." 



