DIVISTON oF FISHES uF a yt TIQTY IM Danio Rerio (Ham. Buch.) “Tt is a wonderful sight to see thirty or forty, playful as puppies, in an aquarium given to them alone.” Drawing from life by E. 8. Youna. JANUARY 1913 Published at Hammond, Indiana. BY THE AQUARIUM SOCIETIES OF THE CITIES OF BROOKLYN, :: PHILADELPHIA, BOSTON, NEW YORK,CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE, :: MINNEAPOLIS 3] S70. lett = tote teietetetetewtetet=eteteit=t=< $= fete teteta t= t= t= f= ¢ =<] FRANKLIN BARRETT 4815 D Street. Olney, Philadelphia, Pa. Largest Greenhouses in the World Devoted to the Breeding of Fancy, Chinese and Japanese Goldfish and Propagation of Aquarium Plants FISHES COMMON SCALED SCALELESS COMET FANTAIL FRINGETAIL TELESCOPES CELESTIALS LION’S HEADS SHUBUNKINS PARADISE GOLDEN-ORFES GOLDEN-TENCH GAMBUSIA-AFFINIS STICKLE-BACKS SNAILS COMMON RAM’S HORN POTOMAC AFRICAN JAPANESE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL Drawine sy H, T. WO PLANTS CABOMBA MYRIOPHYLLUM ANACHARIS SAGITTARIA LUDWIGIA VALLISNERIA HORN WORT POTAMOGETON SNOW FLAKE WATER FOPPFY WATER HYACINTH SALVINIA WATER FERN LACE LEAF WATER LETTUCE UMBRELLA PALMS CY RERIUS PAR IRIS CYPERUS ALTERNIFOLIUS GRACILIS LAXUS FOLVA VARIEGATED BOSTON FERNS PTERIS FERNS WATER LILIES Submerged and Semi-Submerged Plants FOR PONDS ON ESTATES Manufacturer of the Celebrated ‘‘SUPERIOR’’ AQUARIUMS Rustless corner pieces. and brass nickel plated. Manufacturer of the Celebrated Made from the purest of materials. For fish only. Keeps your fish in good condition, keeps your ~ aquarium pure and sweet and does not injure the plants in the aquarium. Once tried, always used, Marbleized slate bottoms. Made in galvanized sheet iron, wrought iron “AMERJAP”’ FISH: FOOD Eaten by the fish with avidity. We carry the finest line of aquarium ornaments in the country. No rough, sharp edges to injure and maim the fish, but every ornament glazed With a smooth and beautiful finish, and in harmonious colors, creating an artistic effect in the aquarium. Globes, Nets, Pebbles, Sand, Foods, Etc. Everything Pertaining to the Aquarium and Pond Send for Price Lists + q : q J d : d j } i 4 i ' t % ! ! d ! i ! 0 Q Q ’ q } Q Q ( : ‘ ! q + 05S SSS ESS SS SS SS Ee a SES Ee et HE AQUARIUM VOLUME I X& Danio Rerio FLOYD S. YOUNG, Chicago. HE Blauband Barbe, as this Danio is sometimes called, is a native of East India. It is said to haunt the small brooks in countless numbers. While short lived, it is very prolific, and has gained a warm spot in the heart of the aquarist, not solely because of beautiful coloration as with some other species, but on account of its incessant activity. It is a wonder- JANUARY, 1913 NUMBER 8 about two gallons capacity is excellent. In it should be placed chips of granite set vertically. It is well to select pieces about two inches long. Limestone, or other rock containing matter soluble. in water should be avoided. A few sprigs of Anacharis (Elodea) may be intro- duced to give a home-like touch. The fish may now be placed in the breeding receptacle, great care being exercised that the temperature is the same as in the tank from ful sight to see thirty or forty, playful as pup- pies, in an a- quarium to them alone. Never still for a moment, they remind one of the prover- bial gamboling lambs. Striped length- wise with orange- yellow lines given which they are to be taken. This fish cannot be successfully kept at a temperature less than 65° Fahrenheit, and when breeding should be much higher. The eggs after protrusion and fertilization fall into the intersti- ces between the on an irides- cent ground of blue, they seem to be animated streaks of light. This species seems to spawn most freely when about a year old. When ripe, the sexes may be distinguished most readily, the female having a greatly distended abdomen, while that of the male is tinged with yellow. As_ the Danio is very fond of spawn it is neces- sary to take measures to prevent its loss. A small square all-glass aquarium of DANIO RERIO (Ham. Buch.) Drawing from life by E. S. YounNG. rocks, beyond reach of the fishes. As I am not at home during the day to observe, I remove the fish after two or three days, and carefully take out the plants and stones, one by one, agitating each to shake off any eggs that may be ad- hering. The water should be allowed to settle, then slowly poured out until but a little remains. If one is lucky and the fish have spawned, the eggs being non-adhesive may be found in the sediment. At the first glance one may be disappointed as sharp eyes are needed. The eggs while comparatively large for such a small fish, and heavy, are very transparent. A shallow dish—a soup plate is good—should be at hand, and into it is poured the remaining water, swirling the water to remove eggs from the sides. If no eggs are dis- covered, the tank should be reset. Place where it will have good light, but avoid much sunlight as it will cause too great fluctuation between night and day temperature. Care should be taken to avoid too large crevices between the rocks lest the fish become imprisoned with fatal results. Under proper con- ditions, the same pair will spawn at intervals of two or three weeks for several months. Presuming that we have the eggs, the dish is placed where it will get a little morning sun and an even temperature maintained. In from three to seven days, depending upon conditions, very minute fish wriggle forth equipped ap- parently, with a sort of hook under the lower jaw by which they attach them- selves at the surface to floating plants, such as Riccia fiuitans, which should then be provided. Anacharis (Elodea) will do, but I prefer the Riccia. About four days after hatching I transfer the fry to a larger tank, previously prepared, containing both Riccia and Anacharis and about two inches of water. Here they may remain until developed. They must now be fed abundant infusoria until large enough to eat Daphnia. Growth is slow until they are large enough to take the minute crustacea. All food should be strained through medium weight lawn to avoid the in- troduction of obnoxious life. Larger fish may be fed dried shrimp, Daphnia, or dried water plants rubbed through wire gauze having about 100 meshes to the inch. 66 As the fish mature the water may be made deeper. An aquarium of about four gallons is a good size for the per- manent tank, and well planted or artificially aerated, will be sufficient for quite a number as they are small, the illustration showing them about life size. An Aquarium Cement. JAMES D. BECKWITH, Hammond, Ind. ECENTLY, while looking through a magazine devoted to general natural science, [ came across a formula for a cement for small tanks that I do not recall noting in any contemporary books on the subject. The preparation is most simple and worthy of a trial. The ingredients, an egg-cupful of linseed oil, four ounces of tar and a pound of resin are placed in a small pot, and melted and thoroughly mixed over a gentle fire. The cement is to be used in a liquid state, but not when boiling, or it will break the glass. The compound becomes in a few minutes and the aquarium may then be tilted and another angle treated. It is said to adhere firmly to the glass and to be very firm, yet pliable enough to be pressed into any shape with the finger. Personally, | would recommend the sub- stitution of pitch for the tar. I have not as yet used this cement, but intend to try it in my next small tank. If any reader of THE AQUARIUM is familiar with this recipe, and has tried it, | would be glad to know what success attend its use. It has at least one point to recommend it to the busy man (and the impatient man), it is easily prepared and sets quickly. firm Patience, diligence and_ the capability of bearing a fair amount of fatigue, are necessary qualifications for all who undertake the study of nature. Selected. Brackish-Water Aquaria. EUGENE SMITH, New York. ESIDE the and the marine aquarium, there are several other kinds, of which I will mention one,the brackish-water aquarium which may be made of great interest. freshwater aquarium Its animal inmates may vary greatly according to the degree of salinity of the water, from almost fresh to those found in the estuaries of the streams. This aquarium may have a sand and gravel bottom, or a clayey bottom, simulating a mud flat. Do not think that a mud bottom must mean roily water. I have had such a one for a consid- erable period and it was always clear. I secured a tussock covered with young shoots of grass (Spartina), and pierced with the burrows of the Fiddler-crab, Gela- simus pugilator. This was placed in marine the tank on a layer of stiff clay from the same source. The vegetation of this tank was a mass of the long Enteromorpha intestinalis which floats about with the tide, also some pieces of green laver, Ulva latissima, which, though marine, will live for a while in brackish water. It should be removed and renewed when it becomes yellowish or discolored. In less salty water, the pondweeds, Ruppia maritima, Poto- mogeton pectinatus, and Zannichellia palustris, as well as Spartina, may be grown. The animal life of brackish water shades off at either end into purely marine and freshwater forms. Here FIDDLER-CRABS. (Courtescy of Doubleday, Page & Co.) O7 the marine killy; Fundulus heleroclitus; and Fundulus diaphanus, the freshwater killy; Lucania parva, the rain-water fish; and Cyprinodon variegatus, the sheepshead The Fiddler-crab, Gelasimus pugilator, is one of the best forms of life for the brackish tank. It usually sits at the mouth of its burrow with the large claw folded over its mouth, ready to spring at anything edible. It is quite amphibious and will climb out of the water, so that the tank must be kept The clay bank should project of the water, to enable the fiddler- crab to have a rest- ing place out of it. Small edible crabs: Callinectes hasta- tus, as well as other ean be used Fundulus _majalis, minnow. covered. above the surface iS fats aie ane RAM a eT iw . a DSO crustacea, may also be kept in quite freshwater. These two are great fight- and always at with one an- ers, war other. The prawn, Palaemonetes vul- garis commonly, but erroneously called shrimp, another interesting inmate,...as it 4 always active and ready to dispute with the fish and the crabs for any morsel of food. Small eels too, are eligble, and when they lie buried in the clay or sand bottom, with just the head protruding, they make a very interesting picture. Sometimes they appear to be completely buried, but the moment a piece of meat or clam is thrown into the tank near them, they will come out and devour it, often pulling it away from another. Salt- water snails may be kept for a while if the water is quite saline, as well as other is 1s more purely marine creatures. A Year With a Catfish.* EDGAR S. JONES, Lovington, Illinois. pa TEE the ice in the river has melted and the rains of April have caused the creeks and rivers of the Mississippi valley to rise, just that soon you will find the catfish coming from his home in the mud-bed of the stream or from beneath the logs that are very com- mon in the slow-flowing streams of the west, and starting up the stream in search of food as well as seeking his home of the year before. This migratory movement of fishes of inland waters, as compared with that of birds is more pronounced in the cat- fish than in any other species. He has had but little to eat during the winter months and is always alert to secure food, such as bits of grass, insects or smaller fishes. He travels up and down the river as it rises and falls, but by the first of June has chosen a part of the river in which he generally stays until the rise of the river in the autumn. Great schools of catfish make their upward end down- ward migrations (the first general move- ment does not begin however, until the hatching season is principally over ), but by the first of July at the farthest they begin to isolate themselves, excepting the younger ones, which stay in schools. By the first of June he has gotten over his hungry spell, going in quest of food during the night, beginning shortly after dusk, along the shallow water near the banks or ripples procuring frogs, cray- fish and other species of fish, lying in wait for fish, often equalling him in size. capturing those Fishermen find that bait placed two or three inches from the top of the water near the edge of the boat is generally safe from the turtle and cray- Reprinted from The Atlantic Slope Naturalist by permission of the author. bS fish, but easily found by the catfish in his nightly journey. His summer home is commonly found in hollow logs or small recesses in the sides of the banks. Very often, during the months of August and September, when the water is at the lowest, men who are engaged in capturing the catfish for the market, place hollow logs in favorable positions for the fish and also make excavations in the banks, making tempting places for the larger ones to take up their abode on their return in the spring. The catfish has been cap- tured by this method weighing as much as fifty pounds. In the early summer, quantities of grain are placed near these places, to further attract the attention of the fish. Frequently, the kingfisher misjudges the size of the catfish when near the surface, and consequently is very often seized by him and drawn beneath the water. He is the Scavenger of the river His principal food during the being fishes. fall matter, seeming to relish most that which has undergone the most putrefaction. In the decayed animal late summer, if the streams become very low, catfish of considerable size may be but if the rivers do not lower, this is seldom seen. As the rainfalls begin he starts down the seen making the ripples; stream, collecting in small schools dur- ing the winter months. Many times he can be seen through the ice at the edge of the water, remaining there for days at atime. When openings are made in the ice, great numbers congregate near, remaining for a short time, then return- ing to their homes in the mud to emerge again at the coming of spring. Believe me, the talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do, without a thought of fame. Longfellow. The Brook Silverside. W. A. POYSER, Hammond, Ind. E who has observed the little fish bearing the rather forbidding of sicculis, will agree with me, even though he be most critical, that we have here a veritable finny beauty. The dainty little fellow, seldom exceeding three inches scientific appellation Labidesthes in length, is very slender and semi- translucent. A lateral stripe of brilliant silver, bounded with a dark line above, is the of the body. Above, pale olive-green pre- characteristic embellishment dominates, while the abdominal region is of the same hue, but of a lighter shade. The back may be slightly dotted with black. It will be noted that species, our subject among the number, The a characteristic are found in freshwater. band silvery which is of the family, gives the common name. Our the Great Lakes southward to Florida, and silverside is found from southwestward to Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas. It occurs in a variety of waters, but seems to prefer cool and quiet places. Its mouth is well provided with teeth adapted to the capture of the sundry minute animals which make up its food. In common with other fish of carnivor- ous proclivities, it has a very short intestine. Vegetarian fishes require a ereater length of time to digest their food, so are provided with longer in- BROOK SILVERSIDE Labidesthes sicculis (Cope) Drawing by W. A. Poyser. our subject is burdened with two dorsal fins, the forward one of which, it is often prone to alternately fold and erect independently of the rear one. The pec- The males may be distinguished from the torals are carried rather high. females by the slightly black-tipped dorsal. of the nose and jaws, at once lead the observer to con- clude that the fish It belongs in the family of carnivorous fishes called ATHERINIDAE. species are mostly of small size, occur- The conformation is Carnivorous. The various ring in great schools near the shore in temperate and tropical seas: a few oo testinal tracts. Examinations of the con- tents of anumber of specimens have re- vealed the minute larva of gnats, and many species of Entomostraca, together with remains of land insects that had fallen into the water. To the aquarium, the silverside forms It and harmless, at least when kept with the Xiphophorus helleri, Barbus sp., Girar- an interesting addition. is active usual tropical species such as dinus reticulatus, and the sundry species of gourami. While it devours Daphnia with avidity, it is by no means averse to dried shrimp and prepared foods. Though (Continued on page 72.) THE AQUARIUM Issued in the Interests of the Study, Care and Breeding of Aquatic Life Published monthly except July and August at Hammond, Ind., by the Aquarium Societies of Brooklyn, Chicago, New York, Phila- delphia, Boston, Milwaukee, Minneapolis Send all manuscripts, exchanges, books for review, etc., direct to the Editor-in-Chief; remittances to the Treasurer; all other matter to the Business Manager............... Ww. A. POYSER Indiana EDITOR-IN CHIER, - Hammond. - = = 2 = Cc. G. B. SCHENK Milwaukee, Wis. BUSINESS MANAGER, - 105 Grand Ave., - - FLOYD 8S. YOUNG Chicago, Ill. TREASURER, - - 428 W. 66th St. - - - SUBSCRIPTIONS, $1 SINGLE COPIES, 10¢ + Advertising Rates upon Application JANU Von Wye LOTS No 8 ITH this issue of THE AQUARIUM, the burden of publication falls upon new shoulders in the Middle West. The new staff extend hearty greet- ing to their fellow enthusiasts. The formation of new societies in the Far West and the Far East places the logical point for publication near the center of population, and will greatly expedite matters in many ways. That the magazine continue, it is necessary that it have the hearty co- operation of every society. How good it may become depends entirely upon the efforts of each and every individual member. There is no valid reason why the magazine should not become the authority on all matters pertaining to It can readily climb to this much to be the study of aquatic life in aquaria. desired place in contemporary literature, if all will contribute to its columns, and make it contain the concensus of opinion of American aquarists. Every one should feel free to use its pages. The object of the publication is to afford those inter- ested in aquaria a medium through which observations may be recorded, opinions may be expressed, and ques- tions asked. No man should labor for himself-alone. To help lighten the trials of our fellows should be the creed of every enthusiast. Articles and mere items of interest to the aquarist are solicited from all. Nothing will be too short to receive our attention, provided, the observation is interesting and authentic. Very fre- quently a fact recorded ina few words is of more importance than the elaborately prepared essay. For short notes, as well as questions, an entire page will be available in every issue, entitled Com- ments and Queries. When illustrations are of real value in elucidating the text, they will be utilized as in the past, provided, that the author will furnish the necessary photographs or drawings. It is very desirable that articles pertain- ing to plants, fish, and other aquarium denizens be illustrated, when a_ descrip- tion is incorporated. The Editor-in-Chief will be delighted to be fairly overwhelmed with copy. It should be deemed an honor to con- tribute to the interest ofits pages. Don’t imagine that you must be a Doctor of Literature to become a_ contributor. Long or short, send them along. Write your data as you would explain the subject verbally. Your local editor or the Editor-in-chief will be glad to place it in the proper shape for the printer, with all the flourishes added for good measure and euphony. All readers are invited to take exception to the an- swers to queries, and the opinions of writers, if they are not in accord with their experiences. Much valuable formation can be secured in this way. Don’t be a clam. in- Pass no opportunity to help make your journal a real live magazine, full of meat for every one. any improvements, by all means do so, we want to please all. Don’t say, “We have officers to run that affair, why should I bother?” a title to spur him to endeavor, is a poor If you can suggest The man who needs member of any organization, be it social or intellectual. The old adage,° “Many hands make labor light”, applies forcibly to you. Emulate the ctrenuous T. R., even though you do not embrace his political convictions; throw your hat into the ring that has been prepared for you, put your shoulder to the wheel, and work indefatigably in the interests of your hobby. Ifthe support we expect is forthcoming the magazine will increase in value, scope, and size. The size at present will be governed entirely by our re- sources. If the wherewithal and copy are available for a sixteen-page issue, such will be published. On the other hand, it may contain but eight pages. However, made to maintain an average of twelve pages. It should be borne in mind that the value of a magazine, like the value of an effort will be many other things, does not necessarily depend upon its size, but upon the con- tents. If there is a place for this little bark on the of Natural History journalism, and we feel there is, it should grow and keep apace with the demands of American aquarists. In Europe many periodicals are pub- lished on aquaria and aquatic life. Surely in the great United States there is room for at least one. Can it be said that the American nation is too utilarian to support a periodical that is devoted to a hobby that is purely intellectual? Let us disprove such a suggestion. In this immense country nothing is im- possible. The day of the aquarium in America is just dawning, compared to its development across the Atlantic. creat seas rel Every little effort you put forth in the interest of your study, your magazine and your club, will add a bright ray to that dawn of great promise. Little efforts pave the way for greater things. The sincere thanks of every society member is due to the former manage- ment of the paper. The admirable manner in which the magazine has been edited, managed and printed in the past, should call forth the approbation of all. It is to be greatly regretted that the ill- ness and subsequent death of Mr. Smith rendered a change necessary in the office of Editor-in-Chief. Mr. Smith by reason of his extensive store of know- ledge of fish and aquaria was peculiarly fitted for the position which gave him so With this change, it seemed that the Business Manager be in close personal contact with the Editor-in-Chief, hence Mr. De Voe resigned in favor of Mr. Schenk. For similar reasons the magazine will hereafter be printed under the super- vision of the Editor-in-Chief in Ham- mond, Indiana. The position of Treas- urer has been created and will be filled by Mr. F. S. Young of Chicago. To much praise cannot be given the gentlemen who have so willingly, and cheerfully given their valuable time and knowledge to a work that is purely a labor of love. Mr. Innes’ great interest in the project led him to give his per- sonal attention to the publication of the magazine, with the result that the paper has been a perfect example of the printers art. We move a rising vote of thanks to Messrs. Smith, De Voe and Innes. much pleasure. desirable To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field it beholds every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again. Emerson. Public Interest in Aquaria. Cc. G. B. SCHENK, Milwaukee, Wis. T is astonishing how much general interest in the subject of aquaria and fishes has sprung up very recently In Milwaukee the activity is felt in all directions. The throughout the country. Public Library formerly had one copy of Wolt’s Goldfish Breeds. A demand by the patrons made the acqui- great sition of three additional copies neces- There is no doubt that the Milwaukee Society is sary, as well as other books. responsible for the popular interest The a library for any class of literature is a aroused. demand made upon sure and accurate indication of the trend of public thought. Throughout the country, the schools have done much to aid the movement by the maintenance of aquaria in the class-rooms. In Chicago two long articles appeared in one of the daily newspapers relative to a proposed public aquarium, to be similar to the one in Battery Park, New York City...A movement been inaugurated to have an expenditure of $25,000.00 authorized for the erection of a properly equipped building in Lincoln Park, in conjunction with the Zoo. If the plan is consumated, an effort will be made to have a state hatchery in the building, that the public may see and understand the efforts that are being made to.maintain the supply of food and game fishes, has Our societies can do much to foster this growing interest in the subject. The public exhibits by the New York and Brooklyn Societies. and the more private ones of the Philadelphia Society, have done much to direct attention to the “wonders” that may be kept in the household aquarium. Just how fast this desire can be fanned into flame depends entirely upon the efforts, of each mem- ber of our clubs. Every one should ask =~) himself a few questions. Have I evinced sufficient interest in the queries of the beginner, invited to the club and tried to secure a subscription to The Aquarium? What is your answer, member? him Did you ever pause and ponder over the indisputable fact that the continued success of any movement, or organization, depends entirely upon the continued infusion of new blood and new enthusiasm? Therefore, it is your bounden duty to round into the fold every tyro that crosses your path. Foster patiently that kindling desire for knowledge. Every additional subscriber you secure means at least five readers, and a larger field for our hobby. Let us all pull together; it is a great work, full of interest and well worth our best endeavors. The Brook Silverside. (Continued from page 69.) delicate, it seems to take kindly to con- finement in the aquarium, but is im- patient of warm water. A rise in the temperature to seventy degrees made it decidedly morose, in contrast to the delight of its tropical companions, and seventy-five to eighty degrees (Fahren- heit) spelt death. about sixty-five happiest. A temperature of degrees seemed the The specimens of which I write, were secured in the early autumn from the broad cool shallows of a large lake, which probably accounts for their preference for cool water. Thus far, I have been unable to secure any information as to its breeding habits. In the preparation of the article I am indebted to the report of the Illinois Natural History Survey on the fishes of that state, and the obser- vations of the writer who has studied the species, which is found in Wolf Lake, near Hammond, Indiana. a 2 eowivE ay INES AND OWwork 1S a ait Lee ae What is the difference between square- tail, broadtail and veiltail goldfish? W.R. R. These terms all refer to the same type, and are used interchangeably. Earthworms may be kept on hand for winter feeding in boxes of moist soil, placed in a cool cellar. The addition of some coffee grounds to the earth is said to be beneficial — to the worms. A noticeable feature of the boulevards and parks of Baltimore is the number of concrete ponds or basins for goldfish. Those observed contained hundreds of fish of the variety, many attaining a length of ten to twelve inches. common Dried shrimp imported from Germany, is a popular food among aquarists keeping native and foreign wild fish. It has the merit of being much cheaper than the usual prepared foods. feed it exclusively when live food is not available, even to goldfish, with excel- lent results. Many Where is the organ of hearing in fish located? E. J. E. Each scale of the lateral line on fish is perforated by a tube leading to a duct cornected with a sac in the head; their function being the secretion of mucus which covers the body to lessen the friction of scales and water, and make it impervious. This mucilaginous system is also provided with nerves and is the seat of a peculiar sense which corresponds to the organs of touch and hearing. From Goldfish Rreeds by H. T. Wolf. The study of natural history is within the reach of everyone; and he who is engaged in it, is presented at every step in his progress with something capable of awakening pleasing emotions. A knowledge of the food and feeding activities of fishes is fundamental to any fair understanding of their place and function in the general system of life, and especially for their successful main- tenance and breeding in aquaria. With snails provided to scrape the algae from the objects upon which it grows. C. I. S. Snails secure their food by the action of the odontophore, radula, ribbon, or tongue as it is variously what mechanical means are lingual termed. It is essentially a strap which bears a long series of transversely-dis- posed teeth. By means of muscles the strap acts like a rasp or file upon any object to which it is applied. The resulting wear of the teeth is made good by the development of new teeth in a secreting sac in which the rear end of the tongue is lodged. In some species the teeth are not all of the same shape and size. Why is Vallisneria spiralis so called? S. S. H. The genus was named in honor of Antonio Vallisneri. an Italian botanist of the Eighteenth Century. The specific name, spiralis, refers to the habit of the stem of the female flower. The flowers of the female plants rise to the surface of the water by uncoiling their long spirally twisted stalks; the flowers of the male plant become detached from the short pedicels at the bottom and rise to the surface. After fertilization, the female flowers return under water by the recoiling of the spiral stem and the seeds are ripened under the surface. Vallisneria spiralis is a dioecious species, that is, the sexes are distinct and not present in a single plant, which is either male or female. COMMENTS AND QUERIES CONTINUED. Teleost is the name applied to fish which have a fully ossified skeleton. According to the Reverend Bateman eels have been known to live in aquaria for twenty and thirty years. The addition of small pieces of plaster of paris to the aquarium, materially assists the snails in forming the shell. Tritons or newts in common with lobsters and some other lower animals, have the power of reproducing lost limbs. In Japan Daphnia is called mijinko. As much space and attention is given to its propagation as to the fish to which it is fed. All fish of the genus Carassius to which the goldfish belongs, are without barbels. The barbels are fleshy elongat- ed projections, usually about the head, in fishes. The goldfish was first introduced into Japan from China at the beginning of the Sixteenth Century. It was brought to Europe in 1611 and later to the United States. The climbing perch (Anabas Scan- dens) when migrating from a pool which is in danger of drying, usually chooses the night or early morning, while the dew is still on the vegetation. The specific name scandens means climbing. At the meetings of the various socie- ties, inquiries are constantly being made which arouse interesting and _ profitable discussion. Why not elaborate upon such questions and form articles for publication in The Aquarium, least a short item for this page? editors please take note. or at Local a4 It has been asserted that a carp weigh- ing twenty pounds will contain more than a million eggs. It is said that snails will eat the gel- atinous envelope of frog eggs, thereby causing the death of the tadpole. Has anyone observed this habit? If this copy of The Aquarium is of no special interest to the reader of this item, it would be a favor to hand it to interested the subject. It would certainly be apprecia- ted by the management, and also, prob- ably by the one to whom it is given. some one in “Those salmon that are taken in the river Mersey in Cheshire, the first year are called smelts, the second sprods, the third morts, the fourth fork-tails, the fifth half-tails, and the sixth, when they have attained their proper growth, are thought worthy of the name of salmon”. From Art of Angling published in 1774. Contributors will add to the value of their articles by using all common, as well as the scientific name of the subject discussed. Many animals have popular names that vary considerably in different localities. All are indispensable, as we aim to interest all classes of investiga- tors. Many microscopic organisms, and those that are of such infrequent occur- rence as not to attract attention, may not have a vernacular, however. Catfish are at once our largest and smallest native fish. The little stone cat is mature at three inches, whereas the mudcat attains a weight of one hundred pounds. The giant sheatfish, a member of this family, occurring in in the Danube, weighs as much as three or four hundred pounds, being next to the sturgeon, the largest European fish. A number of Europe abundantly tropical species of catfish are popular with aquarists. Aqu Society * * Regular meeting 4th Tues. in every month exceptJ une, July &Aug.atFairchildBldg 702 Fulton St., at 8 P.M. Sen Sue e Tins BmeSidenitry, semeccmaeh ciacterre sisi oaisiosteineeetee W. F. DEVOE, Box 383, Baldwin, N. Y. WicerIbnesidentzessecssncdsesceseacs Dr. RUDOLPH C. LIENAU, 137 Bainbridge St. ILOyeAM IOGhtRONR, GonspaoceuguabeseneEn DR. FREDERICK SCHNEIDER, 64 Grove Street. Corresponding and Recording Sec’y, .OWEN H. SMITH, 52 Wall St., New York IRTOASUNE Dis ceeiacise teste ot oeiee oeicee vers tesa aces HARRY ROESSLE, 116 Harman St HinancialsSecrebaryasceeaeescoeeenecesee cen THEODORE P. FRrvz, 805 Halsey St. MocalyBusinessyManagsery.sensesceseccsssecee OWEN H. SmitHu, 702 Fulton Street Tuesday, January 28 -- ‘‘Auction night’’. Members and friends Initiation Fee, $1.00 ae Annual Dues, $2.00 invited. Chicago Fish = ’ resident *.S. YounG, 428 West 66th Street Fanciers Club Presidemts).. <\4 ccaecfcemackisestn