THE SENSES OF FISHES. 25 



I need not say that no exact result accrued; but one or two 

 wholesome lessons, certainly, were taught me. One was 

 and this was just then most valuable, I being the son of a 

 professional fisherman that it was a great mistake to ram 

 a pole in the river to fasten the boat at all, for the sound 

 was startingly clear, though made a mile away, and the 

 grating of the gravel and iron was louder than in air even 

 to my ears, which, it must be borne in mind, were fitted 

 rather for sounds in air. The water seems to act as a 

 sort of microphone indeed, magnifying the sound, con- 

 sidering the distance, of course. 



I do not believe that sound made in air is heard 

 at all under water. The experiments of Eonald favor 

 this opinion, and of course my own are, to my mind, 

 conclusive, or I should not give in my belief so sweep- 

 ingly. Dr. Henshall ("Book of Black Bass" ), however, 

 thinks differently. Let us see how the assertions of these 

 two redoubtable sportsmen look side by side : 



