VOL. XLV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 485 



sons why the Author of an Epistle concerning the Hearing of Fishes endeavours 

 to prove they are all mute and deaf" By Richard Brochlesby, M.D., F.R.S. 

 N° 486, p. 233. 



Mr. Klein in the first place classes fishes into 1 orders, the first with lungs, 

 the other fiirnished with oiTgans analogous to lungs, which we call fish-ears, or 

 gills : all the whale-kind, the dolphin, porpoise, and such like, have lungs. 

 There are 1 families of the 2d class, to one of them belongs all that tribe, which 

 have 1, 1, 5, or g, air-holes at the back, or sides of the head, or in their thorax, 

 in which concealed gills are found : the other family comprehends all kinds of 

 fishes, whose gills are usually placed on each side of the back of the head. Our 

 author's antagonist alleges, that all fishes of both orders are equally deaf ; but 

 that all naturalists except Reaumur are of a contrary opinion, that fishes hear 

 distinctly. , 



He begins with an air of ridicule, and shows how far the letter-writer is igno- 

 rant of the various opinions, modern as well as ancient. Mr. Ray thinks to re- 

 concile these, by allowing that some hear, while others are deaf; but the greatest 

 part allow that fishes actually hear ; and most except Scheuchzer, seem agreed 

 about the auditory passages. But the letter-writer denies they have any organs 

 of voice, merely on the proverbial authority, " mute as a fish ;" hence he con- 

 cludes they are likewise deaf. But in answer, it is replied, the spouting whale 

 has all its internal organs, precisely similar to the organs of voice in other crea- 

 tures, and therefore they may answer the same purposes, nay actually serve this 

 end : for when the whales in the Greenland fishery are struck, they roar fre- 

 quently so loud, as to be heard at 2 French miles' distance. 



But some of the 1st family of our 2d class, as the skate, lamprey, conger, and 

 others, our author has heard utter some kind of noise ; and gives his opinion, 

 that most sorts of cartilaginous fishes can do the same. From analogy he argues, 

 that as no beast, from the lion to the meanest animal, nor fi-om the eagle to the 

 humming-bird, but can utter a voice, so he thinks the same general law is ob- 

 served in the economy of fishes : but at the same time our author here seems to 

 lay too much weight on what he supposes final causes, and metaphysical argu- 

 ments, which have in all ages ruined natural philosophy. 



But the letter-writer queries, whether fishes may not be mute in our air, and 

 yet capable of some voice in their own element. Mr. K. takes the noise which 

 carp and such fish make in hot weather, on the surface of the water, to be a 

 voice : and this is most remarkable when the male impregns the row which the 

 female has before deposited ; yet this is often heard, when the fish is 6 or 7 

 inches under water. Mr. K. further enumerates many foreign fishes, and parti- 

 cularly our smelt, which put alive into vinegar hisses very audibly. 



The letter-writer had objected against fishes, that they have no occasion for 

 hearing because they never copulate, as other animals do : but Mr. K. describes 



