276 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [VoL. XXXIV. 
habits and behavior of leeches (Clepsine), the large fresh-water 
amphibian Necturus, and to the various species of wild and 
domestic pigeons. 
From these he draws very broad conclusions, so without 
entering upon a discussion of the theories touched upon in this 
meritorious memoir, for I have already done that elsewhere,! the 
present paper will take into consideration only such facts as 
concern the behavior of fishes. Moreover, what is here said 
will refer in particular but to the true bony fishes, or Teleostei, 
although, for aught that is known to the contrary, it is probably 
true of the entire group. Aside from some few well-known 
exceptions (Amblyopsis and congeners), that fishes possess 
excellent visual powers, even to the extent of keen discrimina- 
tion between objects, there can scarcely be any manner of 
doubt. Therefore their appreciation of light and their sensi- 
tiveness to it follow as a natural consequence. Further, there 
is every reason to believe that fishes are so organized that they 
are extremely sensitive as to any disturbance of the element in 
which they live, when such disturbance is made within the 
range of the power of their nervous organization to appreciate 
it. Whether any fish is as sensitive in this respect as a leech 
(Clepsine) I think is an open question, for, as Whitman has 
shown, we have but to touch with extreme care with a point of 
a fine needle the surface of the water over a leech, when the 
latter is in a dish containing it, to see the animal suspend the 
act of respiration, s/ightly expand its body, and hug closer to 
the glass or china dish wherein it has been placed. This exper- 
iment must be performed with great caution, for any undue dis- 
turbance will effectually defeat the looked-for result. The very 
extreme sensitiveness of the creature is absolutely remarkable. 
Coming now to the sensitiveness of fishes, I take occasion to 
quote in full a note that Professor Eigenmann furnished Dr. 
Whitman with for use in his paper on “ Animal Behavior.” ; 
it runs as follows: ** Chologaster papilliiferus, a relative of the 
blindfishes living in springs, detects its prey by its tactile 
organs, not by its eyes. A crustacean may be crawling in 
1 R. W. Shufeldt, M.D. Animal Behavior. Popular Science, vol. xxxiv, No. 3, 
PP- 45, 46. New York, N.Y., March, 1900. 
