6 Journal of the Mitchell Society \_Octo'ber 



*SheiTill, Miss Mary L Greensboro 



Strong, Miss Cora Greensboro 



aStiles, C W 



Smith, J. E Ames, Iowa 



oTotten, H. R • • Chapel Hill 



*Vann, Miss Fannie E Durham 



*VenabIe, F. P Chapel Hill 



*Wheeler, A. S Chapel Hill 



*Wilson, H. V Chapel Hill 



Williams, L. F Raleigh 



*Wilson, R. N Durham 



Withers, W. A ........... , West Raleigh 



Wolf, F. A West Raleigh 



*Wolfe, J. J Durham 



The following papers were then presented: 



On the Use of the Sucldng-Fish, Echeneis or Remora, For Catching 

 Fish and Turtles. (Presidential Address) E. W. Gudgee. 



This paper gave a careful review of all the published accounts of 

 this use of this interesting fish. The first European who ever be- 

 held this curious method of fishing was Christopher Columbus on 

 his second voyage, May 19, 1494, on the south side of Cuba. The 

 first printed account came from the press of Albertino Vercelles da 

 Lisona at Venice on April 10, 1505, and this account is repeated 

 with variations by all the Spanish chroniclers of the early explora- 

 tions in the West Indies. • 



It has long been so used in the Mozambique country and in Mada- 

 gascar. The literature contains at least five references. The earliest 

 printed one dates back to Dampier in 1729, but there is a native 

 Malagassy manuscript, "which gives an account probably long ante- 

 dating the printed accounts. 



It is known to be practiced at the present time by the Chinese 

 fishermen of Singapore, but the greatest wealth of references is to 

 the use of this fish for taking turtles by the aborigines of Torres 

 Straits, between Australia and New Guinea. To its use here no 

 fewer than ten separate writers testify, some of these eye-witnesses. 



Experiments made in the ]^ew York Aquarium lead to the con- 

 clusion that such use is possible. Calculations as to the adhesive 

 power of the disk show that the adhesion is ample to effect the cap- 



