94 FISHES AND FISHING. 



sporting near the surface ; he had the gun fired behind 

 some trees, so as, he says, to prevent the flash from 

 being seen ; this precaution was not sufficient to pre- 

 vent the light and smoke being diffused throughout 

 the adjacent atmosphere, and the very perfect vision 

 of fish would discover it. Now as it is a well-known 

 fact, that a bird flying a considerable height above 

 the water, will cause fish basking on the surface to 

 descend instantly, so the fish in Hunter's experiment 

 descended through what they saw, and not because 

 they heard. An opinion has been very absurdly ad- 

 vanced, that fish do not hear, because it is asserted they 

 do not appear sensible of the explosion of fire-arms ; 

 this is an opinion based on no better foundation than 

 Hunter's experiment. The organs of sensation in 

 fishes analogous to what we denominate hearing in 

 ourselves, can only be affected by the vibration of the 

 element in which they exist. 



The tales told about fish coming to be fed at the ring- 

 ing of a bell, are mere fabulous inventions ; that fish as 

 well as terrestrial animals will come at regular periods 

 to any particular spot to be fed, is a fact of constant 

 observation and proof ; but that fish will come to that 

 spot on hearing the ringing of a bell, is wholly untrue, 

 because they cannot have their auditory apparatus 

 acted upon except by the agency of the vibration or 

 undulation of the water. 



