Letters to the Editor: 04.24.97
Something's Wrong
East Hampton
April 17, 1997
Dear Mrs. Rattray:
Something's wrong there.
As we finally sense summer's approach, we look forward to the appearance of flowers, greenery, and this season's crop of village "brownies." When these summer Police Department personnel are in evidence, marking tires and writing parking tickets, and otherwise assisting our beloved tourists, we know that our favorite season has arrived.
One fine Saturday last summer, I foolishly ventured into the village to patronize my favorite hardware store, found my favorite parking lot full, and then proceeded to my favorite secret parking lot. Others had discovered my secret, so on I drove to the last resort.
I entered Park Place but then saw, two cars ahead of me, a stopped automobile, with the driver apparently waiting for the person who was entering a car parked at the side of the A&P to leave. The problem was that the person waiting was blocking the car ready to back out of the space, and since there were now four cars waiting to enter the lot, the person waiting could not back up, and could only go forward, to allow the other person to leave.
Since the waiting party simply waited, unable to back up, and obviously unwilling to go forward, no doubt expecting the leaving party either to pass over or through another car, I could tell that this was a tourist, or, worse, a day-tripper, because a "regular," or even a "native," would not have done such a thing. Ever.
Now, watching as the traffic (with me, alas) backed up and began blocking Newtown Lane, was one "brownie," while another nearby was carefully chalking tires. It must have been a wondrous sight to behold because both young people seemed enthralled with the sight of traffic now snarled, as if it were gridlock in Manhattan. One continued to mark tires between pauses to observe the spectacle, while the other watched, uninterrupted by any other duties.
Only after one intelligent motorist (it was not me) emerged from his vehicle and suggested to the culprit who started all this that she attempt to find another spot so that the entire East End could return to its normal frenetic state did the problem begin to abate, as she heeded the suggestion. (If I were she, I probably would have insisted that the 200 cars behind me back up and get out of my way.)
Perhaps those who are in charge of such things can arrange to have the seasonal keepers of law and order be a bit less assiduous in marking tires, writing parking tickets, hanging around looking handsome, and guiding the misguided, and provide some training in the fine art of assisting the flow of traffic, moving the double parkers, and unsnarling the snarls.
If "brownies" are hired only to enforce parking regulations, or to stand around and wait for a tourist to ask directions, then something's wrong here.
Definitely.
CALVIN SILVERMAN
Redeye Gaper
Washington, D.C.
April 21, 1997
Dear Mrs. Rattray:
The East Hampton Star's continued interest in ichthyology delights me! I had fallen behind in reading The Star and have only just come across the photo of the unidentified fish in the April 10 issue. A couple of your readers have come very close to a correct response, since the fish is both an "angler" and is closely related to the "goosefish."
It tricked a few of us at the museum at first glance because it resembles a type of bottom-dwelling fish called a stargazer. (You may recall I wrote to you about stargazers in 1994 after another "mystery fish" was featured.) However, the distinctive sensory canals on the head and body, so clearly visible in the photograph, are the features that reveal the fish's true identify.
The fish illustrated belongs to the family Chaunacidae, commonly known as chaunacid anglerfishes. It is a member of the order Lophiiformes, which also contains the family Lophiidae, or goosefishes, of which "monkfish" is a common commercially used species. Two characters that help to distinguish chaunacids from other fishes are the prominent open sensory canals that extend from the snout region of the head backward along the body, as depicted in the photograph, and the bright orange coloration.
The specimen in question is, most likely, the species Chaunax stigmaeus, or the redeye gaper. It is the only chaunacid known from Georges Bank, is a rare species, and is documented scientifically by relatively few specimens. Other species of Chaunax are not likely contenders since they are not known to occur this far north. A related species, Bathychaunax roseus (less likely judging by the photograph), occurs at greater depths (1,023-2,200 meters rather than 90-699 meters, the depth at which C. stigmaeus occurs) and has a more southerly range (circa 20 degrees north to 39.5 degrees north versus 36 degrees north to 40 degrees north).
Confirmation of the species identification, however, can only be done with the specimen in hand. If the specimen was frozen and is available for donation, I'd love to acquire it for our preserved specimen research collection, since we do not have any specimens of this species in our holdings of approximately eight million fishes!
Chaunacids are not well known and are rarely encountered. They are bottom-dwelling anglerfishes that occur in all but polar seas at depths ranging from 90 to over 2,000 meters. Prominent characteristics include the large globose head with a conspicuous network of open sensory canals that continue backward along the trunk as a single open lateral-line canal (part of the sensory system common to most fishes, but structured quite differently in these fish), an angling apparatus on the head, the pink, red, or orange live coloration, the loose, flaccid skin that is covered with minute, spine-like scales, the large up-turned mouth, the large, paddle-like pectoral fins situated far back on the sides of the body, and small, circular gill openings that are above and just behind the pectoral fins.
A number of deepwater fishes use an angling device (or illicium) to lure prey. Although I can't distinguish the illicium in the photograph of this fish, it should be found on the middle of the head between the eyes (it may be retracted into an oblong depression). The illicium in chaunacids is very short and has a terminal bait (or esca) comprised of a dense cluster of small finger-like projections, giving the apparatus the appearance of a short-handled mop.
Scientific records of the live coloration of chaunacids are virtually nonexistent. For this reason, I'm interested to know if the photograph is in color and if it was taken when the fish was still alive or shortly after it died. I am also very interested in knowing the depth at which it was caught and if the specimen still exists. If so, we would very much like to have it for the national fish collection. If the fish is available for donation, please contact me at 202-357-3300 or by e-mail at [email protected].
I'd like to take this opportunity to compliment The Star on a recent excellent article on eels by Larry Penny. It was accurate and well written, and our resident eel expert, Dr. David G. Smith (referenced in the article), was quite impressed by it. Thanks for your efforts to educate your readership about the world of fishes. My own wonderful experiences poking around the salt marshes and beaches of Three Mile Harbor when I was young (an activity I continue to this day, while on vacation visiting my parents) are what inspired me to my present calling.
I'm sure the delightful exposure to the biological world, readily available to residents of East Hampton, enhanced by the fine nature writings in The Star, continue to inspire young and old alike and, hopefully, will translate into preservation of East Hampton's treasured natural resources for future generations to enjoy.
Sincerely yours,
SUSAN L. JEWETT
Collection Manager
Division of Fishes
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Better Way
Amagansett
April 19, 1997
Dear Helen:
A number of people have called me to ask if there is not a better way for the town to deal with compostable waste than having residents empty out their plastic bags at the recycling center. This messy and offensive method has deterred many from participating in the program.
If the town feels unable, for some reason, to deal with plastic bags, there are two alternatives.
1. There are now on the market several practical and truly compostable plastic bags. These are made from relatively new biopolymers that, in the compost environment, break down to harmless carbon dioxide and water. Be aware, however, that there are also so-called compostable bags that contain polyethylene; these bags do not totally break down despite the claims of their manufacturers. I would refer anyone interested in more details to my cover story on this subject in the February 1997 issue of Biocycle magazine.
2. There are also available compostable paper sacks, lined with water-resistant, but compostable, film made from vegetable starch. These bags are strong and practical, but they are a little more expensive than the compostable plastics.
There is a commercial opportunity here for an entrepreneur to wholesale these bags to local stores. Of course, it would make the most sense for the town itself to do this, but I am afraid that common sense solutions do not seem to have much appeal to those now in control.
Some of my callers have even suggested that deterring participation in the composting program may, indeed, be the objective of those calling the shots. Surely this cannot be true? Can it?
Sincerely,
PETER GARNHAM
Fair Is Fair
East Hampton
April 22, 1997
Dear Editor:
A note about Take Our Daughters to Work Day, which takes place today.
A number of years ago, the Ms. Foundation began what has become a nationwide effort to inspire young girls to aim for careers in any field they so desire. Because of the huge success of this effort many men's groups have started to complain that we are not paying attention to young boys. For as long as this day has been around, antifeminists - particularly some in the so-called "father's rights" movement - have complained that the project discriminates against young men.
Of course, this is a classic tactic. Every time a program is developed to level the playing field for women, some men (who are used to having the game rigged in their favor) scream foul. But this year, instead of arguing, we suggest that these guys take "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" and take their sons home and teach them how to clean toilets, scrub floors, launder clothes, and pick up after the other family members. After all, fair is fair.
MARILYN FITTERMAN
Past President
National Organization for Women New York State
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