Art. VI] Hekrick, Tastc in Fishes. 6$ 



but tlie retinal pattern is more nearly like that of other fishes, 

 while that of Auwim-us is decidedly degenerate. 



The part played by the sense of smell is much more diffi- 

 cult to determine. As intimated above, I have evidence that 

 the gustatory organs of the skin can function only in contact 

 with the sapid substance. The most highly flavored food can 

 be held within a millimeter or two of the barblet or lips without 

 calling forth the characteristic instantaneous reflex. I will nar- 

 rate one experience which was many times repeated in a variety 

 of modifications. Three fishes were lying quietly under a small 

 water-soaked leaf. A bit of rather stale beefsteak with a strong 

 odor was held on the tip of fine wire over the edge of the leaf 

 under which they were lying and separated by a centimeter or 

 two Irom the nostrils of the fishes. The leaf was consider.ibly 

 corroded by decay and doubtless the odor could freely perme- 

 ate it, though it was nearly or quite opaque. After some ten 

 seconds the fishes began to move restlessly about in circles 

 under the leaf, which was soon swept away by their movements. 

 As a rule the fishes swam in narrow circles close to the bottom 

 and for a long time failed to find the meat, though the)' seemed 

 to be aware of its general position for they never circled far 

 away. If the meat were very slowly moved across the aqua- 

 rium, the fish could be drawn in this way after it for a consid- 

 erable distance, though the meat was never found unless in the 

 course of their apparently aimless movements one of the fishes 

 came in contact with it. when it was instantly snapped up. 



This aimless circling movement may be termed provision- 

 ally the seeking reaction, since it is so different from the charac- 

 teristic movement made when the stimulus is in contact with 

 the body — a sharp turn of the body and instantaneous seizing 

 of the bait — which I shall term the gustatory n action. Unfor- 

 tunately, I have not had opportunity as yet to carry out extir- 

 pation experiments on Aineiunis to determine decisively the 

 part played by the olfactory organ in this reaction (compare the 

 experiments on the torn cod narrated below). 



Tiie fishes upon which these experiments were performed 

 have unfortunately been lost. At the present time I have a 



