ON THE USE OF THE SUCKING-FISH FOE 

 CATCHING FISH AND TURTLES: STUDIES 

 IN ECHENEIS OR REMORA, III 



DR. E. W. GUDGER 

 Amkricax :\lL-SFA-ir OF Natural History, New York City 



Abe These Accounts Credible ? 

 Even with the cumulative evidence of all the foregoing 

 accounts, the matter seems almost incredible. Dr. East- 

 man, when working up the data for his Revcrsus ])aper, 

 wrote Dr. David Starr Jordan, and 1 also have written 

 him. Dr. Jordan, without having liad laid before him the 

 later accounts found in this paper, donbts the Coliinil)us 

 stories and kindly gives some data from liis own wide 

 experience. He notes that the Remoivi i ;irrl\ urow- over 

 sixteen inches long, and, although it holds so liuht ly tliat 

 it may be drawn out of wat(M-, is so small that it could 

 hardly be used as a liuiitiiiu- fi>li. He further adds that 

 Echeneis though it giow- to ;i Icimtli of three feet doesn't 

 ''sit tight" but droits off tlu' miiiute "the sliark to which 

 it i< t'MstoiK'd is drawn out of the water." This ohserva- 

 lioii of Dr. .loi d.Mii's is in full accord, it nia> h.- iioh.l. with 

 the ivcoi-.l. left hy (N)]umbns and his clironiclrr^ tli:it tlic 

 ti-li caiiiiot Maud acce^^ to the air. aiul lu'iu-o tiiry intin.i 

 that, while it cannot hy ].ullino' hv di^loduvd froni it^ prey, 

 it may cnnly l)o (liM'n-auv.l hy lift In-- hoth lnuitci' anVl 



In thisconncction it i> p*''"tinent to givcHiere an observa- 

 tion which I ni;ul(' ;it licnufort, N. C. a number of years 

 ago. A sliai k was liooki'd off tlie laboratory wharf and 

 when pulled in was found to have an Echeneis attcMidant 

 about a foot long. As shark and Echeneis woe both 

 drawn up, whenever the latter was elewiteil ;il»o\*. the 

 water it would let go, drop down into the water, and take 

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