554 KEPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHEEIES. 



readily be seen b}^ the "way they sometimes immediatel}^ 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. 



It has always been a widespread opinion among carp culturists and 

 fishermen that these iish 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. Manj^ 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 Europe, I may quote the state- 

 ment of Mr. S. W. Coflin, given by Smiley (1886, p. 696): 



The sound of mj voice is sufficient to bring them to tlie surface of the water, and 

 a whistle causes them to come for food. For this they scamper through tlie water 

 like so many pigs. They disappear as suddenly at the voice of a stranger. 



Seeley (1886, p. 9S) 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 from a 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 all the noise they can. 



Parker (1903) 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 neai' 

 relative of the carp, we ma}^ ])e 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 trajismitted 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 wp.ter which the fish might perceive by the sense of 

 touch, so that such an experiment could not be considered as conclu- 

 sive evidence that the fish heard the sound. This complication was 

 obviated in the experiments of the authors mentioned above by the 



