Fish that Walk and Climb.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 3 July 1914, Page 2

Fish that Walk and Climb.

PERCH ON THE TREE-TOPS

From long habit we have been accustomed to think of fishes as living exclusively in water ; or being incapable, in fact, _of supporting existence under any other conditions. Nature, however, does not always draw a hard and fast line between aquatic animal life and that .which belongs to the land. From ithe accounts of naturalists whose names are sufficient guarantee for their veracity, there exist fish which walk on dry land, and others which traverse in like manner the floor of the ocean. OUT FOR A STROLL !; For instance, Dr. Francis Day, of India, discovered several cases of it he migration by land of fishes ffrom one piece of water to another, [whilst Layard once encountered some Ipiscine specimens evidently belonging to the perch family traversing a hot, sandy road at noon on a .sultry day. Humboldt was once astounded to behold a species of dorus progressing over the dry ground by a succession of leaps, supported by its pectoral fins, and ' In a certain part of India a party ? of Engfish officers was, encamped .when a rustling sound in the grass and leaves attracted their attention. They found, on investigation, that the noise was caused by countless numbers of little fish that were moving slowly over the ground and making steadily in one direc- ; tion. Their method of locomotion consisted in using their sides and i small fins as feet, and their proj gress was anything but smooth. ■ Constantly they were falling from ; their upright position, squirming on their sides, rolling over, and finally j struggling on to their feet again ; and resuming their arduous march. ' ONE OF NATURE'S ODDITIES. j The fish these officers saw are < well known as the famous climb-ing-perch, which have long taken prominent rank among the curiosities of Nature, and they were being , compelled by drought to traverse a i tract of dry land in order to re- • gain their native element. Con- ; stantly the streams they inhabit become dried up in the heat of the summer season, and when this happens these extraordinary piscine ; freaks climb up the banks, and, guided by some wonderful di'speh- ' sation of Providence, make a direct bee-line across country to some river that still contains a modiI cum ol water. It is well over a hundred years ago that this wonderful fish was l first brought before the notice of j naturalist ~ A specimen was then ! captured nearly at the top of a . lofty palm tree, having probably ] ascended the trunk in order to obtain any moisture that might have , collected in the hollow of the leaves. j This at first was regarded as a travellers tale, but when M. Daldozf found one of these perch ac- , tually engaged in ascending a tree, 1 it was amply sufficient to place the , climbing-perch in the lengthy cate--1 gory of Nature's oddoties.—" Tit jl. Bits."

Mr. Conostoga (passing his hand gently over the surface).—No one ain'i stole that bunch of lavender yit.

"Young man, we need brains in our business." •1 know you do. That is why I'm looking for a job here."