7182 Fishes. 



Times* a few weelis subsequently to the publication of his first notice 

 in the same journal. 



" Musical Fish. — Sir, — In a late number of the ' Times ' T noticed 

 some remarks respecting the musical fish as they have been rather 

 aptly termed ; and it may be interesting to the readers of the ' Times' 

 to be informed that the existence of a similar phenomenon has long 

 been known to the residents at Vizagapatam. I have heard the musical 

 sounds, like prolonged notes on a harp, when rowing at the back water 

 at that station ; and they were generally supposed to proceed from the 

 fish coming in contact with the sides of the boat. To the best of my 

 recollection the sounds were never heard at a distance from it." Viza- 

 gapatam is on the Coromandel coast, 498 miles from Madras, the shores 

 abounding in shallow creeks like those of Ceylon. 



The last extract is from the ' Journal of the Samarang,' and written 

 by Dr. Adams, surgeon and naturalist to the expedition. 



" While on board the brig ' Ariel,' then lying off the mouth of the 

 river of Borneo, 1 had the good fortune to hear that solemn aquatic 

 concert of the far-famed organ fish or drum — a species of Pogonias. 

 These singular fishes produce a loud monotonous singing sound, which 

 rises and falls and sometimes dies away, or assumes a very low drumming 

 character ; and the noise appeared to proceed mysteriously from the 

 bottom of the vessel. This strange submarine chorus of fishes con- 

 tinued to amuse us for about a quarter of an hour, when the music, if 

 so it may be called, suddenly ceased, probably on the dispersion of 

 the band of performers." 



These various narratives, too diversified to be repetitions of each 

 other, too similar to be mere inventions independent of each other, 

 contain intrinsic evidence of truthfulness, quite irrespective of that 

 credence to which the position of the several writers so eminently 

 entitles them. I entertain no shadow of doubt that the phenomenon 

 has been faithfully recorded in the true spirit which Natural History 

 requires and generates. Nevertheless, the mind is naturally slow at 

 receiving facts opposed to the ordinary evidence of our senses. The 

 belief that fishes are dumb has become of universal acceptance ; but 

 waiving this accepted creed, what is the character of that sound ? If 

 vocal, where are the organs of voice situated ? If not vocal, by what 

 other process are these musical sounds produced ? I shall be extremely 

 obliged for communications on this most interesting subject. 



Edward Newman. 



