Art. vij Herrick, Taste in Fishes. 49 



knowledge, illustrate the dangers attending an attempt to de- 

 termine function on the basis solely of observed structure, with- 

 out adequate physiological control. 



The general works contain numerous references to the 

 subject, but usually chance observations or speculative conclus- 

 ions. Giinther says under the caption, Organ of Taste: "Some 

 fishes, especially vegetable feeders, or those provided with broad 

 molar-like teeth, masticate their food; and it may be observed 

 in Carps and other Cyprinoid fish, that this process of mastica- 

 tion frequently takes some time. But the majority of fish swal- 

 low their food rapidly, and without mastication, and therefore 

 we may conclude that the sense of taste cannot be acute. The 

 tongue is often entirely absent, and even when it exists in the most 

 distinct state, it consists merely of ligamentous or cellular sub- 

 stance, and is never furnished with muscles capable of produc- 

 ing the movements of extension or retraction as in most higher 

 vertebrates. A peculiar organ on the roof of the palate of 

 Cyprinoids, is perhaps an organ adapted for perception of this 

 sense ; in these fishes the palate between and below the upper 

 pharyngeal bones is cushioned with a thick, soft contractile 

 substance, richly supplied with nerves from the Nervi vagus 

 and glossopharyngeus." 



Regarding the peculiar palatal organ of the cyprinoids, it 

 has been known since Weber's account in 1827 that this is 

 plentifully supplied with taste buds and Weber himself brought 

 forward strong indirect evidence that its function is gustatory. 

 The following observations (and many similar ones might be 

 cited from the literature of sport) are taken from the section on 

 "The Trouts of America" by William C. Harris in the Amer- 

 ican Sportsman's Library. "The angler cannot resist the belief 

 that the senses of smell and taste are well developed in trout. 

 They eject the artificial fly, if the hook is not fast in the flesh, 

 at the instant they note its non-edible nature, or when they feel 

 the gritty impact of the hook. They will not eat impure food, 

 and they have the faculty of perceiving odors, and various 

 scents attract or repel them. This has been verified from the 

 earliest days of our art, when ancient rodsmen used diverse 



