Sense of Hearing. 107 



" 8. The lateral-line organs in this species are probably stimu- 

 lated by a slight mass movement of the water against them. 

 They are not stimulated by sound waves such as stimulate the 

 ears. 



" 9. Individuals in which the nerves to the lateral-line organs 

 have been cut swim downward and thus escape from regions of 

 surface wave action. They also orient perfectly in swimming 

 against a current. Since surface waves and current action stimu- 

 late fishes in which the nerves to the lateral-line organs and to the 

 ears have been cut, these motions must stimulate the general 

 cutaneous nerves ( touch ) . 



" 10. The vibrations from a bass-viol string when transmitted 

 to water stimulate the ears and the lateral-line organs of Fun- 

 dulus. They also stimulate mackerel and menhaden, bot not the 

 smooth dogfish, which responds only when in contact with solid 

 portions of an aquarium subjected to vibrations." * 



Since Mr. Parker's experiments were made, Dr. J. Zen- 

 neck, of the Strassburg Physical Institute, has published 

 in the Archiv fur Gesammte Physiologic, vol. 95, pages 

 346-356, 1903, an article on the reactions of fish to sounds 

 in the water, and has shown very conclusively that several 

 species of minnows are very sensitive to sound, though he 

 did not determine whether this sensitiveness resided in the 

 skin (touch), or in the ear (hearing), or in both. The 

 sound used was a protected electric bell under the water. 



It is conceded that fish can hear sounds or vibrations 

 produced on, or in, the water, but that they can hear 

 sounds produced in the air is doubted by many ; but every 

 observant angler can recall instances where this doubt has 

 been refuted. I remember, as a boy, that when swimming 

 below the surface, I could hear the shouting of my com- 



* For the full account of Mr. Parker's interesting experiments 

 the reader is referred to U. S. Fish Commission Bulletin for 1902, 

 pages 45 to 64. Also to the American Naturalist, Vol. xxxvii, 

 No. 435, 1903 ; and Science, new series. Vol. 17, page 243, 1903. 



