130 CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA 



nounced new species or newcomers by Dr. David 

 Starr Jordan. During the present year I have had 

 under observation a so-called "singing fish" {Porich- 

 thys notatus). In a general way this fish resembles 

 the catfish. It is about fifteen inches in length; the 

 head flat, the eyes on top of it and capable of being 

 depressed out of sight when the fish is touched. The 

 prevailing color is a deep blue; the mouth is large and 

 armed with an array of sharp recurved teeth. There 

 is a remarkable series of pores, and a still more remark- 

 able series of silver spots almost identical, so far as 

 appearances go; yet so far as known they are not 

 phosphorescent organs. These silver spots are arranged 

 along the sides and upon the lateral ventral surface in 

 a curious design, and resemble the heads of pins driven 

 into the flesh. Each is a round piece of silver-colored 

 membrane, which shows through the skin, above which 

 is a pair of flaps with fringes; between the flaps lie the 

 pores. 



The fishes habituaUy lay on the bottom of the tank, 

 rarely moving except when fed; but occasionally they 

 would wriggle to the surface and he there, displaying 

 the v/onderful arrangement of pearly or silver "but- 

 tons," which have given the title of "midshipman" 

 to the fish. The building in which the fishes were 

 kept was sixty feet in length. While standing at the 

 end one day I heard a loud "umph"-like sound, with 

 heavy accent on the m. As I stood and listened it 

 came again — "mnph," — so loud that it could have 

 been heard twice the distance away. I turned in the 

 direction of the sound, and on reaching the tank of 

 the midshipmen I saw the jaws of one were stretched 

 outward, and again came the remarkable sound 



