362
'
THE BIOLOGY OF FISHES
-
Contracting, so that the sounds may be deliberate or voluri—
tary in thiscase.
-
As With everything‘else, supposed us'es have been ascribed
to
this sound-making ;
that it frightens enemies and
attracts friends or is used in courting ;“ the male Drummer
is said to make loud noises, the female quieter tones. It thus
seems to be‘a secondary sexual character, like the coloration.
But we_really do not know what the shes may or may not
hear, except in the case of Amiurus, a North American Cat—
sh, Which seems undoubtedly to respond to a whistle.
Most of them, however, do not possess any apparatusto be
able to appreciate the wave-length_s we hear, but of course
our range of hearing is very restricted and the shes may
detect in other
what we,call sound, when carried in the
water;
,
We Can Certainly cônelude, however, that since the
sounds made by them are louder during the breeding
season, they are in some
an expression of the sh’s
feelings.
—
_
'
'
Courtship and the breeding time provide indeed
test of the, feelings. At other times shes çan display the
commoner feelings; some are ‘timid and some are cdurà=
geous to brutal
When it rushes On- ships or boats the
Sword—sh is said to: be deraged by fear, which makes its
'
moVements Seem like blind rage.
But, on the whole, it
is the
of “the breeding time that brings out—the
best expression-of the feelingS.
.
'
_
At this timethe—males become Very. combative.- …The
little Stickleback challenges all comerS; fif an “adversary of
his 0Wnîkind
his preserves, he, drives him off
0îr_ itéS'àJ-_ghtato the death. :-It:hasbeen said that the victor
'hi‘mSëlf With—an air;Of pride and satisfaction.
—
Just
in size, is the
.
Betta pügnax; :=TheÎ'lnat—ivèS of Siam:and Cochin China,
:
it lives,— '
rear this
the special purpose
Of
'
'
'
‘1dulgingin a
as game—cocks were
-
.
-formerly rèared ana :_trained in— England—; And the Kings
-
of
Siam are said to hàvé:obtainedr no small revenue from the
licences granted ;for these :ghts. jfThC anatives ; bring