316 Big Game Fishes 



and that the early Indians were familiar with the 

 notes of the drum is shown by the legend of Pas- 

 cagoula and its music, it being described as rich, 

 soft strains which rise from the water on still 

 nights, sounding like the notes of an /Eolian harp. 

 In the narrative of Bienville, who entered the 

 Mississippi in 1699, there is an account of the 

 music of Pascagoula. The Italians give the name 

 of covo to one species, which utters a croaking 

 sound. El roncador of Central America has a 

 similar habit, and Sir John Richardson states 

 that upon one occasion he could not sleep on the 

 coast of Carolina owing to the drumming of a 

 certain species. Lieutenant John White of the 

 British navy reported to his government that 

 when anchored at the mouth of the Camboya 

 River, his men were demoralized by strange 

 sounds which came up from the sea, " resembling 

 the bass of an organ mingled with the tones of a 

 bell, the croaking of an enormous frog, and the 

 clanging of an enormous harp." Humboldt also 

 refers to a similar occurrence which is quoted by 

 the same author: "About seven o'clock in the 

 evening the sailors were terrified by an extraor- 

 dinary noise in the air like the beating of tam- 

 bourines, followed by sounds which seemed to 



