THE CHOIR AQAURIAN

Evening Star, Issue 19615, 22 July 1927, Page 8

THE CHOIR AQAURIAN

■ ■■ ■' We have beeu unjust to the fishes. !n our ignorance wo had supposed that they were cold and unresponsive. The researches of Professor Koellicker have put us in the wrong. It has been laid upon him to investigate whether your fish has a voice or an ear. _ For this purpose he constructed a special microphone, and listened in as to what was going on full fathom five. About the ear there is some good old evidence: there is Arion and there is _ St. _ Antony. The eminent citharist, it will be remembered, was flung overboard by a crew which wanted his money; but his playing had so fascinated the local dolphins that they brought him sale ashore. St. Antony had a congregation of attentive fish when he preached. But wo have always understood (says tho London ‘ Daily Telegraph ’) that this was to be interpreted as a miracle, which glorifies the saint but does nothing whatever for the fish. Still, there is not to bo neglected a certain connection between music and creatures of the sea. Mermaids sing like sirens. There is at least one church in Cornwall which commemorates a mermaid’s love of its choir. Neptune habitually appears with an orchestra of wind instruments. Professor Koellicker does not seem to have hoard a Triton or a mermaid, but his evidence is that the fish in the depths of the sea “ give forth a buzzing sound which is not devoid of a certain amount of harmony and gaiety.” We never suspected them ol melancholy, row fish seem to lack joio do vivre. Even tiiose endowed by tnc process of evolution with a form which to a human taste seems likely to depress the owner exhibit such a liveliness as should be a lesson to us all. Studied in an aquarium with a searching curiosity which lew of the Human races could bear, the ray, the skate, the dogfish, are ever merry and nnght. But narmony is another matter. Many otherwise admirable animals lack that. VVe could have felt no certainty that a haddock s notion of a pleasing sound would he the same as ours. Hie herring might roar as 'ewere a sucking dove, the cod nowi like a nocturnal dog, the sole shriek like a parrot. But there is in them some concord of sweet sounds. The most accomphsned, tho phiiomel of the deep, preuessor KooUiCKor iniorms us, is the gurnard, oan this be that red gurnard wnicii the West-country nsnermen tail the piper? vVe donut whether tney would agree to rroiessor aoeiickqr’s verdict that it has a certain amount of harmony. There is anotuer gurnard known as the sea-cock, lor its trick of crowing. Oi a the proiessar ever hear a conger bark? But wo readily admit these cases are not conclusive evidence against the piscine voice and ear. The professor has listened to the uncaught fish murmuring sweet nothings in tho deep. The rest ot us have only heard what some of them say when caught. It is not to be expected they would be at their best.