1877.] Traces of a Voice in Fishes. 149 
After several summers spent in observing the breeding habits 
of these common fishes, I have been able to form two tables, re- 
ferring to the breeding habits and the relationship of color and 
supposed voice thereto, of sixteen species of fresh-water fishes. 
In the first of these, I have simply separated them into bright, 
and dull colored species; the bright coloration referring to the 
breeding dress or spring coloration. In the second list, I have 
separated them according to their supposed vocal powers, and 
absence of such powers; and it will be seen on comparison that 
a combination of voice and color does not occur. 
TABLE I.1 
Brilliant Colors. Dull or Silvery. 
Yellow perch. Spineless perch. 
Common sunfish. Mud sunfish. 
Banded sunfish. Gizzard shad. 
-fin. Mullet. 
Eel. 
Cat-fish. 
Lamprey. 
TABLE JI. 
Supposed Vocal Power. Voiceless. 
Spineless perch. Yellow perch. 
Mud sunfish. Common sunfish 
Gizzard shad. Red-tailed sunfish. 
ullet. Banded sunfish. 
Lamprey. Chub. 
Cat-fish. Roach. 
Eel. Red-fin. 
Pike. 
Bill-fish. 
We have here four species enumerated that are brilliantly 
colored, and seven that are dull or silvery; and of the former, 
none are believed to have any voice proper, while of the seven 
of the right-hand column, all are believed to be so endowed. In 
the right-hand column of Table II., it will be noticed that the 
“voiceless” species include the four highly colored fishes and 
five others, all of silvery tints, which I have carefully studied, 
that have no habit, so far as traceable, which would separate them 
from the list of species without voice. We can scarcely then 
avoid the conclusion, that with fishes as with birds the brill- 
lantly colored males, as a rule, are mostly, if not wholly, de- 
pendent on their hues to attract the females in the amatory 
season. 
Those who may be familiar with the common chub (Semotilus 
1 aegtty’ Purposely omitted the sturgeon from the list of plainly colored fishes, as 
ire to make a separate study of the habits of this fish. 
