352 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the lofty cliffs of some of the Ionian Islands the Greeks capture the 

 swallow on the wing by casting into the air a long line with an anilicial 

 fly. Hoflaud missed his salmon in consequence of a swallow seizing the 

 fly as it was falling toward the pool of water. At times the fish will re- 

 fuse the tempting morsel, though rising to glance at it, and then dart 

 away as though the deceit was perceived. It is not only evident that 

 fish possess an accute sense of smell, but at times they are very partic- 

 ular as to what they eat; and this daintiness of food has been noticed 

 by very ancient writers. 



We believe that the Sahnonidw have the sense of smell very acutely 

 developed, for they have ample nostrils, and their structure, and the full 

 and ijcculiar arrangement of the olfactory nerves, indicate, that they 

 possess this power, eren if its existence were not established "by Luraer- 

 ous observations. Almost every angler has seen a fish reject a bait that 

 did not suit his taste, even after he had taken hold of it. The salmon 

 not only measures the objects of his pursuit with his eye, but he smells 

 them while pursuing and tastes them when seized. Many times have I 

 noticed the trout on a summer evening champing the luckless fly that 

 had fallen into the water as though it was a delicious morsel. In trolling 

 artificial minnows, whose artistic make almost surpasses nature in 

 beauty of outline aud color, I have been vexed to see a salmon darting 

 around it with seeming disdain, and never attempting to seize it. In 

 such cases, the fish must have been influenced by smell ', for the eye 

 could hardly detect the structure of the bait or the concealed hook. 



The white shark has very large nostrils, aiid smells its prey at a great 

 distance. Throw to a voracious pike a toad, and he will turn from it 

 with very marked loathing. Hang a shiny tench under his nose and he 

 will recoil as quickly as the sensitive maiden turn's from the nauseous 

 smell of the poppy. 



Fish are much tifPected by externa! influences, such as inclement 

 weather, &c. "Never angle while the chilly east wind blows," is a 

 world-wide maxim. To illustrate the rapidity with which impressions 

 are transmitted in water, I will give an instance that amused me in 

 boyhood. On throwing a little pebble moistened with spijttle into the 

 pool below the dam of Pleasant Kiver, not far from tide-water, I ob- 

 served that the lamprey-eels sprang out on land as though the water 

 of the pool was molten lead, but returned again in a few moments and 

 became quiet. Large rocks thrown into the water did not disturb them, 

 but a minute pebble covered with spittle threw them into the wildest 

 agony. Forty years ago the lawyers attending court at Machias fre- 

 quently amused themselves by disturbing in this manner the lamprey- 

 eels as they congregated in the pool below the dam. The human saliva 

 evidently acted as a poison, aud its influence was felt instantly in the 

 most distant parts of the pool. There are many other remarkable 

 instances of the susceptibility and the delicate organization of fish. The 

 veudace is said to perish the moment it is touched by the human hand. 



