The Singing Fish 317 



One had a large range to select from and that this was 

 the " singing fish " there could be no question, as a large 

 school was evidently feeding on the bottom beneath us and 

 all were evidently making the barking sound which, in its 

 passage up through the water, became a purely more or less 

 musical sound. 



A lady living at San Diego informed the junior author 

 that she too had been the listener to the fish concert and to 

 the Mexicans and Indians on the coast the fish (Porichthys 

 notatus) of science, is known, among other names, as the 

 " singing fish " and " canary bird fish." It is sometimes 

 called " midshipman," from its rows of buttons, which are 

 more or less luminous at night. I was fortunate in having 

 one of these singing fishes under observation at Avalon 

 Bay, California. The fishes were about fifteen inches long 

 and were in a tank about three feet in length. They were 

 of a dull slate color and periodically rose to the surface, ex- 

 posing the singular silver pinhead-Uke spots on the lower 

 surface which have suggested the common name of mid- 

 shipman to the fish, the spots resembling buttons. 



The first time I heard one of these fish " sing " I hap- 

 pened to be in the Aquarium building alone, and at least 

 thirty feet from the tank. I knew that no one was about, 

 as I had let myself in with the keeper's key to watch the 

 wonderful light of the sea pen in the dark. Suddenly out 

 of absolute stillness came the sound loud, penetrating and 

 distinct, '" umph-iimph-umph." It was more than startling ; 

 then it came again and again, and creeping up to the sing- 

 ing fish tank, I saw it rise to the surface, and traced the 

 sound directly to it. 



How far this extraordinary " singer " could be heard I 

 am not prepared to say, but I walked out into the yard pos- 

 sibly fifty feet distant, when I heard the loud vibrant 

 " croak " which, coming up from deep water and in a 

 volume, becomes the so-called music of the singing fish. 



I experimented with the fish and found it a most interest- 



