HABITS OF THE BLIND FISH. 37 



Wyman of the fish found in the stomach of the blind fish, showing 

 the position of the dorsal fin to be the same as in the fish commonly 

 called mud fish in the fresh waters of the Middle, Western and 

 Southern States, perhaps, indicates the fish with eyes to be a spe- 

 cies of Melanura.* This fish is called mud fish from the habit it has 

 of burying itself in the mud, tail first, f to the depth of two to four 

 inches, and of remaining buried in the mud in our western ditches 

 during a time of drought. This habit, perhaps, in a measure fits 

 it for a subterranean life. The occurrence of a fish belonging 

 to the same family with the blind fish, but with well developed 

 eyes, in the subterranean streams in Alabama, as mentioned further 

 on and figured on PL 2, fig. 4, however, renders it probable that the 

 cave fish with eyes may be the same or an allied species, and the 

 drawing by Prof. Wyman would answer equally as well for it. 



The farct that the Amblyopsis succeeded in catching a fish of, 

 probably, very rapid and darting movements, shows that the tactile 

 sense is well developed and that the blind fish must be very active 

 in the pursuit of its prey ; probably guided by the movement 

 which the latter makes in the water so sensibly influencing the del- 

 icate tactile organs of the blind fish that it is enabled -to follow 

 rapidly, while the pursued, not having the sense of touch so fully 

 developed, is constantly encountering obstacles in the darkness. 



In describing the habits of the blind fish Dr. Tellkampf says : 



"It is found solitary, and is very difficult to be caught, since it 

 requires the greatest caution to bring the net beneath them with- 

 out driving them away. At the slightest motion of the water they 

 dart off a short distance and usually stop. Then is the time to 

 follow them rapidly with a net and lift them out of water. They 

 are mostly found near stones or rocks which lie upon the bottom, 

 but seldom near the surface of the water." 



Prof. Cope, in describing the habits of the blind fish which he 



* Dr. Gunther considers the genus Melanura of this country to be synonymous with 



Umbla of Europe. In each 

 country only one species has 

 been as yet satisfactorily de- 

 scribed. 



t See the interesting notes 

 on the habits of the mud min- 

 now, by Dr. Abbott in Amer- 

 ican Naturalist, Vol. 4, pages 

 Mud fish (Melanura Umi). 107 and 38 8, with figure of 



the fish on page 385, which we here reproduce for comparison. 



