336 DO FISHES POSSESS THE SENSE OF HEARING ? 



There are many other statements regarding fishes 

 which, although curious, are, nevertheless, to a cer- 

 tain extent true. 



The Chinese, for instance, who breed large quan- 

 tities of the well-known gold-fish, call them, it is 

 said, with a whistle to receive their food. Sir 

 Joseph Banks used to collect his fish by sounding a 

 small gong; and Carew, the historian of Cornwall, 

 brought his grey Mullet together to be fed by mak- 

 ing a noise with two sticks. 



In spite of these accounts, there are many writers 

 who affirm that fishes do not possess the sense of 

 hearing at all; and certainly a belief that these crea- 

 tures are gifted with such a faculty is not neces- 

 sary, in my opinion, in order to explain the above-men- 

 tioned phenomenon. 



At the fountains, in the gardens of Versailles, the 

 writer has seen numbers of fishes flocking together, 

 and anxiously waiting for the subscriptions of the 

 visitors. Now, had a bell been rung, these animals, 

 doubtless, would have appeared at the edge of the 

 fountain as usual ; but had the bell not been sounded, 

 and any human figure been visible, they would have 

 taken up the self-same position. 



I have, at various times, kept packs of fishes 

 (Blennies, &c.), and tamed them, so that each mem- 

 ber would feed out of my hand. For some time I 

 used to attract them to the side of the vessel in 

 which, they resided by striking a wine glass with a 



