Argosy, September 1955 — page 74: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

72 C. S. FORESTER they become more and more worked up until, one and all, they rush up and down the pool with increasing excitement in a solid mass which raises ripples on the surface. They may keep it up for as long as three days before the eggs are deposited on the plant roots and fertilized. So here they were, chasing as madly as they could, as senselessly as if marriageable human beings were to band together and play seventy-two holes of golf a day for a week before holding a mass wedding. ‘“'What are they up to?’ asked Macnamara, and I explained. ‘ Interesting,” said Macnamara, standing wide-legged on the edge of the pool, looking down at the idiotic creatures. And then Macnamara asked the question which will, I am afraid, alter the history of the world—a very simple question and yet one which I can only compare for importance with Newton’s when he asked why the apple did not fall upwards. “What makes them do it all at the same time? ”’ he asked. ‘Don’t ask me,’’ I said. ‘“Tt’s always like this?’ went on Macnamara. ‘“ You don’t find just one couple going off into a corner on their own?” “No,” I said. ‘ This is the best example of the herd instinct I know. And they have no bourgeois prejudices in favour of privacy.” | ‘“'That’s the sort of slipshod way of thinking that I might have expected from you with your lack of scientific training,”’ said Macnamara. “If this is herd instinct, then what’s the mechanism? Why should they take it into their heads to act like this all at the same time? Is it example? ” ‘“'No,”’ I said, ‘and you wouldn’t suggest it if you knew as much as I do about the complete brainlessness of goldfish.” As I spoke, one of the nicest red females, lifted by the simul- taneous thrust of a couple of males, rose for a glittering second on top of a purple water-lily, and flapped brilliantly before sliding off again—a pretty sight in the sunshine. But I don’t think Macnamara cared about the beauty. “It’s not likely to be telepathy,” he said. ‘The most likely mechanism would be chemical. That presupposes a secretion into the water. Would they be sensitive to anything like that? ” “Yes,” I said. “If they weren’t so preoccupied with their affairs at present they’d have smelt this minced crab right from the other end of the pool and they’d be gobbling it up by now.” ‘“‘ Interesting,’ said Macnamara again. “ It might be worth investigating. I’ve a mind to get the University to provide a pool and goldfish. Then I could set my young men to dis- covering the active agent.” 4 “You'd have to wait a while if you did that,” I said. “‘ Goldfish comicbooks.conle