HAVE FISHES INTELLIGENCE?

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3860, 30 November 1883, Page 4

HAVE FISHES INTELLIGENCE?

Dr. 0. C. Abbott discusses in Science Mr Ramaino's opinion in regard to the intelligenco of fish, where, in his '' Animal intelligence," ho writes: " Neither in its instincts nor general intelligence can any fish bo compared with an ant or a bee." Dr. Abbotts thinks the words "any fish " open to discussion, and believes that "some fish " would bo less open to criticism. Dr. Abbott cites tho case of pickerel in a shallow stream, threatened by a net. One fish "was caught. Then tho others halted. Some sprang over the cork line, others made their way between the brail and the net, ■while others burrowed in tho sand at tho bpttom and so worked their way under and out of tho not. The same authority cites the evidences of intelligence in the siiufish, the Eupotmcs aureus. These fish pair, and tho same fish live together for years. The Slltno thing as to pairing , and caring for their young happens with the black bass. But tho last case cited by Dr. Abbott is at the least very remarkable a,s showing affection in fish, and consequently highly developed intelligence. having removed a brood of catfish {Amirius pat us) from their mother, tho young progeny -were put ma glass globe. "Tho parent fish at once recognised that her young were not in tho creek, although they wore swim-

ining in watoi\ . . . At last its curioBity overcame its discretion, and it left tho creek, and, as best it could, made its way to tho bnso of tho globe containing her young a distance of about two feet." Tho young fish being liberated, '' they immediately clustered about their parent, and followed her into deep water." Capt. John J£. Mortimer is authority for the fact of tho

concreted action of certain predatory sea fish, who manoeuvre as would a pack of hounds to secure their prey.