5DdD4 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
readily be seen by the way they sometimes immediately take food 
thrown into the water before it has a chance to settle to the bottom. 
I have made no experiments to test accurately the sense of sight in 
carp. 
HEARING. 
Tt has always been a widespread opinion among carp culturists and 
fishermen that these fish are quick to detect and respond to ordinary 
sounds, such, for example, as the human voice. it is well known 
that pond fish regularly fed at a particular place soon learn to congre- 
gate at that place to receive their food. Many such instances have 
been recorded not only for carp, but for gold-fish, trout, and other 
species. As an illustration of the popular belief, which was appar- 
ently as prevalent in this country as in Kurope, I may quote the state- 
ment of Mr. S. W. Coffin, given by Smiley (1886, p. 696): 
The sound of my voice is sufficient to bring them to the surface of the water, and 
a whistle causes them to come for food. For this they scamper through the water 
like so many pigs. They disappear as suddenly at the voice of a stranger. 
Seeley (1886, p. 98) says: 
The hearing of the carp is excellent, and there are many examples of their answer- 
ing a call; and it moves by hearing even when it cannot see. It makes an audible 
sound in eating and in swallowing air. 
Fishermen, both here and abroad, are very careful to make as little 
noise as possible as they set their nets around a school of carp in the © 
open or prepare to seine them froma pond; but when the net is set 
and it is desired to drive the fish into it they splash the water and shout 
to make ail the noise they can. 
Parker (1908) has recently investigated this sense in a few fishes and 
has given a general discussion of the subject. Since then Bigelow (1904) 
has done the same for the gold-fish; and since this last is such a neaY 
relative of the carp, we may be reasonably certain that the conditions 
in the two species are much the same. The experiments of these 
authors show without doubt that certain fishes, including the gold-fish, 
and so we are safe in assuming also the carp, are capable of hearing 
sounds produced in the water, or which are transmitted directly to 
the water, such as striking the side of a boat with an oar. I have had 
opportunity to see evidence of this in the field myself. By paddling 
quietly and carefully I have been able to work my boat into an open 
area in a pond where carp were present in numbers without disturb- 
ing a fish, when a sharp blow against the rail of the boat with the 
paddle would send them scurrying into the rushes in all directions. 
In this case, however, other vibrations besides sound waves are trans- 
mitted to the water which the fish might perceive by the sense of 
touch, so that such an experiment could not be considered as conelu- 
sive evidence that the fish heard the sound. This complication was 
obviated in the experiments of the authors mentioned above by the 
