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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1956-07-12, Page 8Fish Sh s t Out His Cigarette A man smoking on a ventricle overlooking water in the Bast Indies had his cigarette extinguished by well. directed salvoes. A small Liz and sunning itself on a leaf a few Inches above the water was slim larly marked down. Stories like these have been brought back by travellers to the East Indies for more than two hurt Ind years. No one believed that there were fish that swam about lust beneath the surface of the water and shot down hovering in Leets and other objcet.s ry accurate )ombardment with drops of water. Duly recently have these stories of the '`archer" fish been investigated and their remarkable skill con armed. Although they are fairly small lith, the largest only about ten inches long, they are capable of /hooting with uncanny accuracy for a distance of several feet above the water. The drops hit hovering Insects with considerable force, so that they plop down into the watul and the fish stoup them up. Observers found that up to a distance of four feet away the fish never missed. The very best shots were able to semi the drops of wat• er as much as twelve feet above the surface. Has the archer fish any special equipment to enable it to perforin Its unusual feats of arms? Very little, other than a looser tongue than fish generally have, and a Ltraight groove in the middle of the roof of the mouth. For shooting the tongue is held against this groove to form a tube, and the gill lovers are pressed smartly inwards, riving water through the tube ander considerable pressure. This much is clear; but what puzzled scientists is how it achieves Lts astonishing accuracy. When it ._ shoots its eyes are below the sur- face of the water, so it must take account of the "bending" of the light which reaches it. A stick looks bent in the middle when half of it is in water. It's the same with the fish looking up- wards: the insect isn't at the spot where the fish sees it. It must there- fore make the necessary adjust- ment to its aim, shooting the drops where it knows the insect is, and not at the spot where it appears to be. Again, the surface of the water may be choppy, but the archer fish Is able to make allowances for this also. It is also quick to learn from.; experience. Two specimens kept in an aquarium were teased by being offered spiders stuck on to the ead of a stick. They soon gave up bom- barding them when they found they couldn't shoot them down. What is more, they afterwards refused to bombard any other spider or insect until they became really hungry. Fish that shoot down insects sound strange enough. But there are others that get their prey with line and bait. The 'angler' fish is an ex- tremely ugly creature with a small body and a huge head that is near- ly all mouth. Its fishing tackle eon - mists of a thin strand growing out from the top of the head and end- ing iu a blob of flesh, like a topknot, which is the bait. This the angler waves before any small fish that comes along, skilfully flicking it Just out of reach whenever the unspecting victim makes a dart at it. Gradually the fish is lured near- er and nearer to the angler's closed jaws. Then there is a sudden upheaval as the huge mouth opens suddenly to take in a great gulp of water that sweeps the fish in with it. There are several varieties of angler fish. The largest kind are three f&ht or more in length, and are said to be able to catch ducks alighting on the water. Certainly their mouths are big enough to accommodate a whole duck. One of the earliest angler fish to be shown in New York Aquarium ereated such interest that everyone wanted to see it feed. \s a result it died after a short time of overeat. ing. Perhaps the most fantastic ante kr fish are those that live in the deepest ocean two or three mites below the surface, where no sun - DYNAMITE DIGS A DITCH •— Tons of earth are shot high in the air as Saskatchewan's program to drain tens of thousands of acres of flooded grain land gains momentum. Top photo shows a ditch several hundred feet long being blasted with dynamite. At right Saskatchewan farmers load dynamite sticks into holes punched in submerged land preparatory to blasting. At left, a blasting technician measures depth of blasted ditch which is already carrying water from a flooded field. The drainage program, which will be conducted for the remainder of the summer, is under the supervision of the conservation and development branch of the provincial Department of Agri- culture. Blasting experts of the explosives division of Canadian Industries Limited are assisting with the ditching phase of the operation. light penetrates. Their bait is luminous, the light being produced not by the fish itself but by bac- teria that live in the bait. A Mediterranean fish that boasts the delightful name of "star- gazer" has a different 'but equally effective method of angling. Nor- mally it lies with its whole body buried in sand on the sea bed, only its eyes and part of its mouth re- maining uncovered. Out from the mouth comes a thin red filament which wriggles and squirms along„ the sand just like a small red worm. And small red worms are an irresistible attraction to small fish. The worm -bait idea, though, is not exclusive to the star -gazer, nor is angling practised only by fish. The a l l i g a t o r -snapping turtle angles with a similar worm -like filiment which lies along the mid- dle of its tongue, the turtle remain- ing quite still the "worm" wriggles around. The octopus, too, is something of an ace angler, which is not sur- prising, for it not only has eight arms but is an extremely intelli- gent creature. Unless very hungry, an octopus will not eat fish, pre- ferring crabs and lobsters and other crustacea if it can get. them. Occasionally, however, an octopus has been known to kill a small fish and hold it outside its lair at the end of one of its eight arms. Now crabs and lobsters are great scavengers, and sooner or later cue is sure to be attracted to the dead fish. And, of course, the octopus has seven other arms held in readi- ness to draw it into the lair. If you have a goldfish pond and a cat you will know what a skilled fisherman a cat can be. The South American jaguar is also fond of fish, and catches them in the same way. It is reported that it will sometimes break the surface of the water with the tip of its tail in POISE -- You'd have to be a dummy to sit still while a taxi plowed into your living roomeven it New York City where the unexpected is routine. Man at left is just that — a display window manikin. JUST REARIN' TO GO — The end was in sight for spectators at the recent national AAU championships as hefty, 325 -pound Paul Anderson gave a perforamnce that retained his AAU title and bettered three world marks. The 24 -year-old set global marks for total lift, snatch, and clean -and -jerk. order to attract inquisitive fish within range of its paws. Pretending to be a worm in order to capture prey seems to be quite fashionable. The young of a num- ber of snakes, including copper- heads and water moccasins, have bright yellow tails, which are made to look like worms or maggots by being continually waved about. Frogs, toads and small lizards are irresistibly attracted to anything that wriggles, and while they are busy trying to swallow one end of the snake they fail to notice that the other end is preparing to do the same to them. After a capture has been made the tail ceases wriggling for sev eral days until the snake becomes hungry again. After all, it wouldn't be much fun having your tall wor- ried by a frog you didn't want to 'eat! With the coming of the straw- berry season, the homemaker's thoughts naturalry turn to jam and jelly making, for she knows that the season for this delicious berry is all too short, So she plans do extending her family's enjoyment of this rich tangy fruit in delicious jams and tel- lies, And the wise homemaker knows, too, that she can whisk her materials together, follow kitchen tested recipes and turn out a perfect jam or jelly every time, simply by using com- mercial fruit pectin in either liquid or crystal form. Good jellying fruit plus the right amount of sugar — that was Grandmother's idea of the essential ingredients for jelly. Today we know that any fruit can be jelled if the three basic essentials, fruit acid, sugar and pectin are present in the right proportions. * * The so-called "good jellying" fruits are those containing enough natural acid and pectin to form a jelly when sugar is added and the mixture boiled until the ingredients are .con- centrated enough to jell. Elul there are a few fruits which contain enough, acid or pectin to form a jelly when fulyy ripe — yet that's the stage when. color and flavor are at their best. That's why a mixture of ripe and under ripe fruits is used in the long -boil method. But long boiling brings loss of flavor, darkening of color and often caramelization of sugar * * * When the m,dern homemaker makes jam or jelly the short - boil way, she is not limited to using only the good jelling fruits She can use any fruit. She adds pectin herself, iul• lows exact recipes, bolls the jam or ,telly mixture for just one minute— only loon raelueb to sterilize the MINN.€ ilnd prevent spoil te e -- a:'cl prof duces a .jem nr , •11N, v ,O' n h the 17ii''hfr: ,n'•,>i 1.. 1 . ,i .,;rd she gets up to 503/4 greater yield than with the long -boil method because there's no evaporation of juice. m * Liquid and powdered fruit pectin are natural fruit pectins extracted from fruits rich in pectin is refined, concentrated and standardized to specific jellying strength. Both liquid and crystal pectin are equally high in quality but because the composition differs slightly, recipes are not interchangeable. So be sure to use the type of pectin called for in the recipe. * * * Here is a selection of jam and jelly recipes — some are new — some are old favorites. We hope you like them as well as we do. m * * STRAWBERRY JAM 31/ cups prepared fruit 14 cup strained lemon juice 7 cups sugar 1/2 bottle liquid fruit pectin To prepare fruit. Crush com- pletely, one layer at a time, about 2 quarts fully ripe.straw- berries. Measure 314 cups into a very large saucepan. Add lemon juice. To make jam. Add sugar to fruit in saucepan and mix well. .Place over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and at once stir in liquid fruit pectin. Then stir and skin by turns for 5 minutes to cool slightly, to pre- vent floating fruit. Ladle quickly into glasses. Paraffin at once. Makes about 10 six -ounce glas- ses. STRAWBERRY JAM Yield about 11 medium glasses (51.lbs. jam) 4% cups prepared fruit (about 2 qts. ripe strawberries) 7 cups (3 lbs.) sugar 1 box powdered fruit pectin First, prepare the fruit. Crush completely, one layer at a time, about 2 quarts fully ripe straw- berries, Measure 41/2 cups into a very large saucepan. Then make the ' jam. Measure sugar and set aside. Add pow- dered fruit pectin to fruit in „saucepan and mix well. Place over high heat and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. - At once stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly Re- move from heat and skim off foam with meal spoon. Then stir and skim by turns for 5 minutes to cool slightly, to pre- vent floating fruit, Ladle quick. ly into glasses. Cover jam • at once with 1/s inch hot paraffin. Spiced ltrawherry Jam. Use vF• i',e for ~;trnwberry jam, Add iz tea,;000a each allspice, cinna- mon and ground cloves, or any desired combination 4f spices, to crushed strawberries. Variations: Lemon Strawberry Jam. First, scald glasses as usual and place 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind in bottom of each glass (or in just one or several of the glas- ses, if desired), Then make Strawberry Jam as directed, ladle into the glasses, and stir quickly to blond flavors, Paraf- fin. OrangeStrawberry Janna. First scald glasses as usual and place V4 teaspoon grated orange rind in bottom of each glass (or in just one or several of the glas- ses, if desired). Then make the Strawberry Jam as directed, la- dle into the glasses, and stir quickly to blend flavors. Paraf- fin. * RASPBERRY JAM 4 cups prepared fruit (about 2 quarts ripe red raspber- ries) 634 cups sugar 1/a bottle liquid fruit pectin First, prepare fruit, Crush completely, one layer at a time, about 2 quarts fully ripe rasp- berries. (If desired, sieve half of pulp to remove some of the seeds.) Measure 4 cups into a very large saucepan. To make jam. Add sugar to fruit in saucepan, and mix well. Place over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and at once stir in liquid fruit pectin. Then stir and skim by turns for 5 min- utes to cool slightly, to prevent floating fruit. Ladle quickly into, glasses. Paraffin at once. Makes about 10 •six -ounce glasses. * * * RASPBERRY AND STRAWBERRY JAM Yield: about 10 medium glasees (5 lbs. jam) 4 cups prepared fruit (about 1 qt. each ripe red raspber- ries and strawberries) 7 cups (3 lbs.) sugar r/2 bottle liquid fruit pectin First, prepare the fruit. Crush thoroughly about 1 quart each fully ripe red raspberries and strawberries. Combine fruits and measure 4 .cups into a very lasge saucepan. Then make the jam. Add su- gar to fruit in saucepan and mix well. Place over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard 1 minute, stirring con- stantly. Remove from heat and at once stir in liquid fruit pec- tin. Skim off foam with metal spoon, Then stir and skim by turns 'for 5 minutes to coo) slightly, to prevent floating fruit. Ladle quickly into glasses. Cover jam at once with 1/8 inch hot paraffin. * * * RASPBERRY AND RHUBARB JAM Yield: about 10 medium glasses (5 lbs. of jam) 4 cups prepared fruit (about 1 qt. ripe red raspberries and 1 lb. rhubarb) 7 cups (3 lbs.) sugar 34 bottle liquid fruit pectin First prepare the fruit. Crush about 1 quart fully ripe red raspberries. Slice thin or chop (do not peel) about 1 pound rhu- barb.. Combine fruits and mea- sure 4 cups into a very large saucepan. Then make the jam. Add sugar to fruit in saucepan and mix well. Place over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constant- ly. Remove from heat and at once stir in liquid fruit pectin. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Then stir and skim by turns 5 minutes to cool slightly, to prevent float- ing fruit. Ladle quickly into glasses. Cover jam at once with 1/s inch hot paraffin. REAL COOL DOU. -- Some lit. tie mother left hof dolly sittlnr pretty one recent sizzling dal when she placed it near a lawn sprinkler in a park.