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“JULY, 1893. No. 28.

VOL. Ul.

CopyRiGHT 1893. AL RicHTS RESERVED.
DENOMINATIVE CHARACTER- The ripe egg, when it separates from
ISTICS OF FRESH-WATER the ovary, passes through a tube (the
FISHES. oviduct), the opening of which as before
stated is outside, behind the anus.
LY: .

In the male fish the spermatic organs
We come now to the process of re- | secrete a thick, white fluid, which con-
production in fishes, the organs for tains innumerable, small, organic
which in nearly all are distributed be- bodies which, when in a fresh condi-
tween two individuals, the male and the tion, move about under the eggs, im-
female. pregnate it and start the development
The form of the female organs or of the embryo. These bodies, which
ovaries, most common among fish, con- | are called spermatazoa, consist of an
sists of two sacs uniting towards the pos- anterior thicker part, the so-called
terior end ina single oviduct, which dis- head, and a more attenuated part or tail.
charges outside behind the anus. On In the water these little organisms can
their inner surface of these sacs, in | live but one or two minutes, but when
nearly all fish, are found leaflets, placed | taken from the fish and put in a bottle
either crosswise or lengthwise, and kept at the proper temperature, they

which contain the eggs in thousands. | may be preserved alive for six days.
These increase in number and _ size This discovery was made by a Russian
when the spawning season arrives, fish culturist in 1856, and is very im-
greatly distending the ovarian sacs. | portant to the artificial propagation of
In some species of fish the ovariesdo _ fish, as it enables the crossing of differ-

not present the sac-like form, but re- ent species.

semble two ribbons (for there are a pair The fecundation of the egg is effect-
of them) more or less twisted, running ed in the viviparous species, inside of
along both sides of the intestine to the | the body of the fish, while in the great
dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity ; majority it takes place outside of the
such an arrangement can be seen in the body and in the water, where the male
sturgeon and the eel, fish during the spawning season pursues

50 THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

the female, all the while ejecting his
sperm over the eggs.
The eggs when first spent in the water

have the shape of a slightly pressed-in :

rubber ball, and as soon as they come
in contact with the liquid they expand
and suck it in through a microscopic-
ally-small hole.

The spermatic germs of the male be-
ing present in this liquid are thus intro-
duced and fertilize the egg.

The fecundation of the egg consists
in the entry of the spermatic corpuscles

and the subse-
quent produc-
tion of a subdi-
vision of the
germinative
~ disc, which phe-
nomenon is call-
ed the process
FERTILIZATION OF FISH EGG, of 6é segmenta-

ENLARGED.

A Spermatic corpuscle. tion’ or *‘fur-

B. Germinative disk.

C. Nutritive yolk. rowing.” ‘This
is followed by a series of successive
changes, of which the final result is
the embryo, which, subsisting or being
nourished by the yolk, gradually de-
velops into the perfect fish.

The young fish when first hatched is
supplied with a sac called the yolk-bag,
from which it derives its nourishment
during the early period of its independ-
ent existence. When this has been
exhausted it is then ready to seek other
food, and this it finds in various micro-
scopic organisms that exist in profuse
abundance in the water. As the fish
grows larger and gains strength, other
and coarser food is sought and devoured.

Note.—Although fish spawn a great
number of eggs, comparatively few of
them are destined to develop into per-
fectly mature fish. Nevertheless they
cannot be said to be totally wasted, as
short-sighted enthusiasts suppose, ‘ for

nature doeth all things well.” There
are many denizens of the water whose
sole duty it is to devour these super-
abundant eggs, thus preventing what
would otherwise be a destructive over-
production. Insects and crustacea feed
upon them, and are in turn consumed
by fish that in their turn serve as food
for larger ones or titiliate the palate of
omnivorous man.

THE TROUT-LIKE FISHES.
Salmonidae.

The several members of this family
of fish are highly esteemed for the
table. They are found at any elevation,
from the sea level to the snow limit.
They vary greatly in several particulars,
according to the locality in which they
thrive, the quality of food upon which
they subsist and the differences incident
upon age and sex. For these reasons:
The family has been subdivided into a
great number of species, which sub-
division is, at best, but nominal. The
dominant characteristic by which any
species may be distinguished and which
is common to all, is an adipose, or fat fin,
back of a short dorsal fin. They may
be further characterized by the naked
head, a body covered with comparatively
very small scales of uniform size, both
jaws being armed with sharp teeth,
the belly round and the air-bladder
large and simple. Another distinction
is conspicuous by its absence, namely,
barbles. There are about 160 recog-
nized species of this family, from which
we select the following ones as the lead-
ing representatives of their type.

THE SALMON.

Der Lachs. Salno Salar. Le Saumon.

The body of this fish is long, the head
sharp and, compared with the size of

THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893. 51

the body, small. During the breeding
season the point of the lower jaw is
bent upwards, somewhat like a hook.
The back is blue black or dark gray,
while the belly is silvery, and often dot-
ted here and there with spots of red
and black. At maturity it attains a
length of three feet and a weight of
from 40 to 50 pounds. The salmon,
“* the king of fresh-water fish,” is
migratory in its habits, spending the
earlier days of youth in fresh water, but
eventually making its way to the sea,
from which it again returns to its native
river when the spawning season arrives.
The speed with which this fish swims is

saantasnses

effort is renewed and generally crowned
with success. It is not unusual for the
fish to persist until it is killed by the
violence of its exertions in accomplish-
ing the object.

The spawning season is in the fall
and early winter (the California salmon,
however, spawns during the summer).
Before entering the fresh water of the
river, the fish remain in the brackish
water of tide-ways, as they also do when
making their descent to the sea. This
habit prevents the great and sudden
change that would ensue if the passage
was made abruptly from salt to fresh
water or vice versa. It is also at this

THE SILVER SALMON OF ALASKA.
Oncorhynchus kisutch.

remarkable, and should the depth of
the water be favorable for the exploit,
it will accomplish the distance of fifty
miles in an hour’s time. Its strength is
no less remarkable, enabling it to main-
tain its high velocity in shooting up
the most oblique and glancing rapids
and if need be, leaping falls ten or
twelve feet in height. The greatest
perpendicular height to which the sal-
mon can attain in leaping is believed
to be about fourteen feet. Should the
first attempt at leaping a water-fall be a
failure, the fish will make the trial again
and again, evincing the most obstinate
perseverance. Resting between times
to recruit its exhausted strength, the

time that they get rid of parasites that
become attached, after a protracted
stay, in either salt or fresh water as the
case may be. The female is the first
to enter the river and locate in a suit-
able place for spawning, the male fol-
lowing about a month later. Witha
spirit of true chivalry, the male salmon
is wont to engage in desperate battles
with other males, for the possession of
the female, the result of the struggle
not infrequently being the death of the
weaker The spawn is not deposited
until the water has receded to a tem-
perature of about 10° F. The next
step is to prepare a receptacle or nest in
which to drop the eggs. The female

52 THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

does this by digging at the gravel on
the bottom, all the while fanning
away with the fins the mud and finer
sand, thus cleansing the gravel that is
subsequently to be used to cover and
protect the deposit. The spawn is not
all deposited at once, a portion being
extruded at intervals, each deposition
then carefully covered with gravel.
During this time the male stands guard
against intruders, though he himself
cannot resist the temptation to devour
any stray eggs that have been over-
looked by the female. The weight of
the eggs is sufficient to sink them, and
in addition they are covered with some
glutinous or adhesive substance. ‘These
two properties are evidently for the
purpose of preventing their being washed
away by the stream until covered with
gravel by the parent fish. On the
average each female deposits about 10,-
000 eggs, each of the size of a currant
berry ; out of these, it is estimated,
about five per cent. develop to a full
sized salmon. ‘The act of spawning, as
above described, may continue through-
out several days, and when completed
the fish are weak and unfit for the
table. They now slowly make their
way to deeper water, and when ice
covers the river they goon to the ocean
to regain strength.

The eggs are hatched after a period
of incubation varying from 45 to 140
days, according to the temperature of
the water. For the first four or six
weeks the young derive nourishment
from the yolk-bag. The fully devel-
oped young are of a light brown color,
and marked with some nine or ten dark
cross-bars. Although hatched in rap-
idly running water, they prefer at this
age to remain in quiet, shallow water,
and where, if need be, they can find
shelter and protection among the stones.

When about a year old, say in May or
June, the strongest, which then meas-
ure three or four inches in length,
change color, assuming a brilliant silver
tint. They gather together in shoals,
and go down stream to the ocean, re-
maining there for from one to three
years, at the end of that time return-
ing to the river.

The weaker of the newly-hatched
young remain in the river until the
succeeding year before the journey to
the ocean is made.

Once in the ocean, the young salmon
grow at a wonderful rate; marked
specimens having been caught eight
weeks after were found to have attained
a weight varying from two to five
pounds. Under favorable circumstan-
ces the salmon will in the lapse of two
years’ time acquire a weight of twenty-
two pounds.

The food upon which the salmon sub-
sists and thrives, consists of the vari-
ous kinds of crustacea, so abundant in
salt water. This rich and nutritious.
aliment gives to the fish the color and
exquisite flavor that so delights the
palate of the gourmand. ‘The flavor,
however, will vary according to the
locality in which the fish is reared
and the quality of food consumed.
As an instance of this, the smoked
salmon from the Rhine yields just.
double the price per pound than
that from the river Wesser (Ger-
many).

Throughout the various stages of
growth the fish is known by several
names ; during the first year it is called
‘parr,’ while on the first trip to the
sea it is known as ‘‘smolt,” on the first
return to the. river, ‘‘grilse.”” The
name ‘‘salmon” is given to it at the
age of three years and when it is ready
to spawn.

THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893. 53

THE SALMON-TROUT.
Salmo trutta.
Die Lachs-Forelle.

The salmon-trout is very much like
the salmon in shape; the head, how-
ever, is blunt, and the body in conse-
quence appears shorter. The color varies
considerably, though usually the back
is dark blue, while the sides and belly
are silvery, spotted here and there with

La truite de mer.

black. It is somewhat heavier at ma- .

turity than the salmon, frequently
weighing between 50 and 60 pounds,
this weight not being anyways an excep-
tion. Its large size and weight may be

THE GREAT LAKE-TROUT.
Salmo lacustris.
Die See-Forelle.

This species is best distinguished by
the caudal fin or tail, which instead of
being forked is as straight on the edge
as though it had been cut off. The
coloring also is different from those
named above. The back is of a dark
bluish-green, the sides and belly silver-
white and marked with black spots en-
circled with a yellow rim. It is found
native in the great lakes of Switzer-
land, Bavaria, Austria, Ireland and
Scotland. In these countries it is es-

La traite de lacs.

THE DOLLY VARDEN TROUT.

Salvelinus malma.

the result of a most voracious appetite.
In the breeding season they obey the
same habits as do the salmon, and, like
the latter, acquire their growth in the
salt water of the ocean. The color of
the flesh varies a great deal more
than that of other species, and has
been the cause of their receiving
two additional names: ‘‘Sea-trout ”
when of a reddish tint, or, as com-
monly understood, ‘‘ salmon colored ;”
and ‘bull-trout ” when the flesh is
white or colorless. This difference in
color is due to a different diet, the
latter being not near as palatable as the
tinted fish.

teemed the most valuable of all their
lake fish. The young are hardy, and
very readily withstand the vicissitudes
of transportation ; with equal facility,
adapting themselves to the changed
circumstances of pond culture. The
adult weighs somewhere from 30 to 40
pounds, the flesh is white, and in flavor
fully on a par with the brook-trout.

TEE), BROOK-TROUL:
Salmo fontinalis.
Die Bach-Forelle. La trutte.

This handsome and well-known fish
is native in the United States; it fre-
quents the clear water of running

54 THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

brooks, and to this habit undoubtedly
owes its name. Care must be taken not
to confound it with the European va-
riety, salimo fario.

In the natural state its greatest length
is about one foot ; cultivation has both
increased its size and weight, the latter
not rarely reaching 20 pounds. The
body of the trout appears somewhat
stunted, which fact may be due to the
blunt and rounded mouth. Though
possessing minute scales, they are not
apparent to either sight or touch, The
color of the body varies in the different
localities in which the fish is found,
often being that of the bottom over
which it swims. It is, however, usually
olive green on the back, though occa-
sionally entirely black ; silvery on the
belly, but in all cases is the fish marked
with red and black spots. The coloring
depends upon the kind of food the
trout eats and the depth of water in
which it lives. In the first instance,
trout subsisting almost exclusively on
insects are most abundantly marked
with bright red spots; while in the
second instance, deep water having the
effect of deepening the shading and
shallow water the reverse. The usual
food of the trout consists of crustacea,
insects, etc., but it frequently preys to
no small extent upon its own kind.
The color of the flesh may be either
white, yellow or red, and is governed by
the quality of the diet; it is very deli-
cious, and commands a high price in
the markets. The popular idea that
trout thrive only in rapidly running,
cool water, is an error, for they are suc-
cessfully cultivated and fattened in
ponds and kept in vats to be colored,
all of which is done to supply the de-
mands of the market. In almost any
clear creek with a gravel bottom, with
now and then a shallow spot suitable

for the deposition of eggs, trout will
almost surely be found.

Trout spawn at the same time of the
year and in the manner of the salmon.
The little piles of gravel containing the
eggs have an appearance of flattened
mole hills, the eggs being distributed
through them like raisins in a pudding.
As a rule, the belly of the female is
larger at the near approach of the
spawning season, owing, no doubt, to
the increase in size of the eggs as they
near maturity. The color of the fish
also changes at the spawning season,
the female becoming dark and sombre,
while on the contrary the male becomes
brilliant ; the abdominal fins turn scar-
let, a scarlet hue, too, often appears at
each side of his belly. It is only in the
spawning season that the difference
between the sexes may be determined
with any degree of certainty. Seth
Green said that ‘‘by handling them
much and watching them closely, the
trout breeder comes to know the male
and female apart almost instinctively,
but would be puzzled to tell just how
he knows it.”

Trout if in good condition will
commence spawning as early as the
end of the first year. At two years of
age they produce from two hundred
to five hundred eggs; at four or five
years the number spawned is about two
thousand.

This fish is not any more sensitive to
impure water than are other fishes.
If the proper care is used in selecting
young specimens for transfer, the
chances for keeping them in captivity
are as good as with the common sun-
fish. The trout seems to be endowed
with some degree of intelligence, for
they may easily be taught to feed from
the hand, and have been taught to per-
form several tricks.

THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

or
Or

THE RAINBOW TROUT.
(California Mountain Trout.)

Die Regenbogen Forelle. Salmo tridea.

This species is sometimes called
‘the trout of the future,” and we
think justly, in view of habits that ren-
der it more profitable, when bred for
the market. It was but lately intro-
duced from California and did not
seem to take well with the culturists.
They did not expect much from it,
thinking that the somewhat unattrac-
tive exterior of the fish would militate
against its sale as an article of diet.
However this may be, the species is a
valuable one and found favor in the
eyes of those who did not judge solely
by appearances. In Germany it is now
very extensively cultivated, yielding
large profits tothe culturists. In form
it very much resembles the brook-trout,
although it is not so beautifully marked.
In color it is of a dark grayish brown ;
this fact probably being the objection
urged against it as rendering it unat-
tractive to the eye. Although this is
true, the fish possesses a redeeming
trait, if judged by coloring alone, and
that is, its iridescence, which no doubt
is due to some peculiar property of the
surface in decomposing the rays of light
into its primary colors. The effect is
beautiful and reminds one of a fragment
of rainbow turned loose in the water,
flashing and glistening here and there,
reflecting back the gorgeous colors of
its heavenly prototype. The rainbow
trout possesses the advantage of being
well adapted for warm rivers and
thrives well in pond water. Its growth
also is much more rapid than that of
the brook trout, and to add to its value
it spawns in the spring of the year.
These two facts tend to make the breed-
ing of it profitable.

THE GRAYLING.

Thymallus.

Die Aesche. Lomobre.

This species is found native in the
cold waters of both Europe and the
United States; Michigan being the
State in which it is principally found in
abundance. It is a handsome fish, the
meat thought to be delicious and brings
as high a price as that of the brook-
trout. The grayling is of a purplish
gray color on the back and sides, the
belly, in common with others, being
silvery. The dorsal fin is very large,
and especially during the breeding time;
it is ornamented with rosy markings
and rows of green or blue spots, the
whole making a pleasing effect. The
spawning season, like that of the rain-
bow trout, occurs in the spring of the
year, so that by the following winter
the fish is fit for the table, just at a time
when trout generally are out of season.
It commences spawning at two years of
age, and proceeds in the same manner
as the trout.

THE WHITE-FISH.
Coregonus albus.
Maraene.

The body of this fish is compressed
on the sides, and is covered with rather
large, loose scales. The head is very
small, and the mouth devoid of teeth.
The color is silvery white, but dark on
the back. The form of the fish varies
more or less according to age and sur-
rounding circumstances. It is native
in all the great lakes of the United
States, where it grows to perfection. It
has been introduced into the lakes of
Germany and other European States.
As a food-fish, the white fish is pre-
eminently the best, purely fresh-water
fish in the world.

It feeds upon the microscopic mol-

56 THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

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luses, which abound in all our lakes;
this rich and nutritious diet undoubted-
ly giving to the fish the delicate flavor
for which it is so eagerly sought. White-
fish live in shoals and go to the shallow
water to spawn in October or Novem-
ber. They deposit a great number of
eggs, which they drop loosely on the
sand. Naturally, a great many are
thus lost, either devoured by other fish
or crustacea, or, what is more destruc-
tive, are washed upon the shore during
storms. ‘To counterbalance this loss to
the fishing interest, the governments of
the several States bordering on the
lakes have established ‘* hatching-sta-
tions” near the lakes, where the eggs
of this valuable fish are properly cared
for until hatched. Whenold enough,
the young fish are turned into the lakes
to grow. The eggs are procured from
the old fish captured for the purpose.
The eggs and milt are extruded from
the body by compression in the hands;
the impregnation is subsequently done
by artificial means.

It may not be improper to state in
this connection that all fish of the
maraene family merely drop their eggs
and leave them to hatch as best they
can, not protecting them with sand or
gravel as does the salmon,

(To be Continued.)

HOW TO BREED THE PARADISE
FISH.

In the spring of the year when the
weather becomes warm and the tem-
perature of the water in the Aquarium
rises to about 70°F. the breeding tank
is arranged. Such a tank is best when
narrow and long and in height not less
than twelve inches, inside. If it is to
be made to order, have it as long as the
window is wide. Put sand in the bot-
tom and arrange plants and rockwork
in two or three different groups,(but be
careful not to introduce the carnivorous
Utricularia vulgaris, which plant also
catches young fish,) one on each end
and the third one in the middle. These
three groups are then divided off in as
many compartments by two panes of
glass. These should fit loosely, their
support being the sand in the bottom
of the tank and wedges of cork on the
top. The tank is now filled to one half
of its capacity with water, and after this
has attained the room temperature, the
paradise fish, selected for breeding, are
introduced. The male is put in the
middle apartment, the female or fe-
males to the right or left of him, or
one on either side. The food given to
these fish should now consist mostly
of live insects, cut-up worms, scraped
raw beef, ete. If the weather is favor-
able, clear and warm, you will soon see
the male building his bubble nest and
parading in his most gorgeous dress
alongside the glass wall that separates
him from his chosen one. He will ex-
pand all of his fins, and with wonderful
grace he will execute all kinds of evolu-
tions to attract her attention. Has he
impressed her favorably she will come
close to the glass wall, turning pale,
acting, as it were, “bashful.” The
male tries now to force his way through

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THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

the glass wall; not succeeding of course,
he tries to overleap it, with which
attempt he is often successful; often,
however, it causes his death when he
happens to jump too high and out of
the tank. For that reason the tank is
only half full of water and it is best to
also cover it with wire gauze or mosquito
netting. At this period we remove the
glass wall, and sometimes in less than
ten minutes they spawn immediately
under his nest. Both may be seen for
minutes after this collecting stray eggs
with their mouths and spitting them on
top of the bubble nest. This being
completed, he takes charge of the nest
and drives her away in a rather rough
manner. She will seek shelter under
the rockery and amongst the plants, and
as soon as we notice this we should
drive her to her apartment and replace
the glass wali. The presence of the
female is absolutely unneccessary after
the eggs are deposited, and it would be
cruelty to leave her exposed to his,
then, very bad temper.

A breeding aquarium need not be
large. Paradise fish will spawn in one
gallon of water; an oblong all-glass
battery jar will do very well, as far as
the spawning part goes. |

Thirty-six hours after spawning the
young will hatch. About ten days
later they have the shape of their
parents and can support themselves.
The mate builds a new nest and goes
through the same performance over and
over again until the cold weather puts
a stop to it.

Only two broods should be allowed
to remain in one tank together ; the
third brood would be devoured by the
first, as soon as hatched. The young
may be fished out of the aquarium with
the aid of a white saucer, or they may

remain in company of their father, as
he will not injurethem. Some females
are also harmless to their young, but as
a rule they are not. Another way is to
remove the old ones from the tank, the
glass partitions are taken out, too, in
that case and the tank filled up to
within one inch from the top. The
young are fed with finely, scraped raw
beef mixed with drops of water to a
thin paste ; with powdered prepared
fish-food ; and as they gain in size with
mosquito larvaes, etc. Should, as it
sometimes happens, the parents eat
their eggs or young, do not worry!
there was a good reason for their doing
so, which, however, these fish alone un-
derstand. They will soon spawn again
and prove to you that they understand
their affairs well.

A NIGHT-BLOOMING CACTUS
IN BRUTE.

Mrs. N. P. Millard, of Iberia, La.,
has a curiosity in a night-blooming
cereus (P. phyllanthus), which is bear-
ing fruit.

This is the first time a plant of that
kind has been known to bear fruit in
this country. In its native country the
fruit takes two years to mature. ‘The
fruit is about seven iuches in length,
nine in circumference, of a blood red
color, in appearance very much hkea
Balsam apple, having a rough skin. It
has bursted open on one side showing a
white, mealy interior like an apple.
The plant measures about eight feet in
height, branching ont about nine feet
in diameter at the top. Two years ago
it bloomed in the day time; at eight
o’clock in the morning twenty-five
beautiful flowers expanded.

THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893. 59

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS.
(With Illustration. )

Plants that attack their like, to
nourish themselves at another’s cost, the
so-called Flatters are known in large

aided eye) almost invisible molds, fastens
itself to strong and healthy plants caus-
ing them to present a sickly appearance
and finally kiling them. All of this
has come to our knowledge by experi-
ence, but that there are higher orders

CARNIVOROUS

numbers ; they most betray themselves
by outward appearances, being of a pale
color or only showing a trace of green.
The smallest form of these (to the un-

PLANTS.

of bright and brilliant plants, who con-
sume a small English beefsteak with
relish, and live to an extent from en-
trapped game, is only known through

60 THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

late investigation, and is now a definitely
settled fact. The first intelligent de-
scription of these rooted ‘Fra Diavolos’

was forwarded by the naturalist Ellis, :

in a letter to Linne about 1768. He
had one of these brutal plants sent to
him from the swamps of Carolina, so
that he could himself observe these
habits of trapping its game. He
described this bandit in about the fol-
lowing manner: The plant sends out
of a peculiar shaped leaf rosette a spike
of flowers of a beautiful white color.
This plant Ellis named (Dionea mus-
cipula) Venus’ fly-trap, which name
Linne also adopted. The margin of
the leaf is encirled by small delicate
bristles, and on the upper surface of
each half of the leaf three to four of
these sharp bristles are also found.
Between these last are found glands
which secrete a reddish, viscid fluid, by
means of which the insects are induced
to venture on this dangerous parquette.
The instant this occurs the two halves
of the leaf close, the marginal bristles
close over the edges like the hands
clasped in prayer, the force being so
great that the leaf becomes torn, if the
effort to open it is persisted in. Ellis
asserts that the insect is impaled on the
central bristles, not unlike the victims
of the middle ages, being inclosed in
the machines of torture. This idea of
impalement was erroneous and Linne
seems to have considered the whole let-
ter as such, he refused to accept the
theory of digestion, of which Ellis had
hinted. He (Linne) considered Venus’
fly-trap as a new species of the Sin-plant
and therefore reasoned, the leaf only
remained closed as long as the irritation
was kept up, when it would again open,
without having utilized the cadaver.
Already Ellis had noticed that by
irritating the upper surface of the leaf

plant.

with a needle or piece of straw, it
would close, but on perceiving it had
no insect inclosed, would soon unfold
itself, while this does not occur when
an insect is caught. Linne held to his
belief. .Only the elder Darwin con-
cluded there must be some use for this
system of preying, and thought that
the flower was surrounded by the leaves
to prevent insects from making their
ascent to the flowers and there causing
destruction. The son of Darwin, next
to the German botanists, Sprengle and
Miller, has given the clearest explana-
tion of this habit of catching insects by
these plants. The bright colors and exu-
dation of the honey-like substance would
exclude the idea of protection, more
readily serving the purpose of a bait.
We often see illustrations of spiral
plants, with heart-shaped leaves and a
tube-like flower. This is the common
snake root (Aristolochia clematatis), the
flowers of which to a certain degree re-
semble a mouse trap. The mouth of
the flower is covered with stiff hair, the
points of which are directed to the in-
terior, allowing an insect to readily find
entrance to the interior of the flower,
but with difficulty making its exit.
This does not occur before it has de-
posited the pollendust brought from
some other plant and has again taken
up some new in place of that deposited,
when the hair will become smooth with
the body of the blossom, allowing of an
easy exit, the insect now being free,
leaves, soon to fall into a new trap,
there again to perform the same duties.
Before the investigations of Darwin
it was thought that these arrangements
of Venus’ fly-trap were of no use to the
Dr. Curtis, of Wilmington,
N. C., in 1834 noticed that the dead in-
sects became dissolved in the exudation
of the leaves and finally disappeared.

THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893. 61

This observer also noticed the seat of
excitability, namely, the three bristles
on the upper surface of the leaf. If a
cautious insect walked between these
without touching them, it would escape
all danger. Thirty-four years later
another American naturalist substanti-
ated these observations in so far that, if
a small piece of meat was laid on the
leaf it would close and not open again
until it was fully digested, when the
leaf would unfold itself ready for another
meal. He noticed also that cheese was
undigestible and very often destroyed
the vitality of the leaf. These already
wonderful observations were partly ex-
plained by the English physiologist, Dr.
Burdon Sanderson, in that he declared
that the nerve of this sensitive leaf is
traversed by a current of electricity, not
unlike the muscles and nerves of ani-
mals, so that it presents some resemb-
lance between the organs of motion and
digestion of animals and this plant. In
the turf swamps and moors of middle
Europe are found plants not unlike our
Diona, and belong to the finest of the
flora found there. We refer to the Sin-
dew, which is unknown to most of the
readers. The oldest German botanists
looked upon these with awe and mys-
tical wonder. The appearance of
these plants cannot be forgotten by
any one who has seen them in their
beauty.

In the height of summer may be
found in the middle of the moor a
small rosette of light green, with pro-
portionately long stemmed leaves, from
the centre of which a flower about a
foot in height makes its appearance,
which only unfolds itself to the noon-
day sun.

This flower is white and star-shaped;
this last is of less interest to us than
the leaves. The one variety appearing

in greater numbers is the Drosera
rotundafolia. The other varieties appear
less frequently, namely, the Drosera
longifolia and Drosera intermedia. (See
illustration.) The margin and upper
surface of the leaves are covered with
numerous reddish, or of lively red
colored hair several lines in length.
Each one of these hairs carries on its
point a drop of fluid as clear as crystal,
which gives the leaf the appearance
of being encircled with a band of
diamonds. The contrast between the
green leaf covered by these reddish hair
and the never coalescing fluid, presents’
a grand sight. During the heat of the
day, after all of the dew had disap-
peared from the grass, investigators
noticed that these plants only showed
this crystal fluid, in consequence of
which they named them Sin-dew or
Ever-dew; later the name Ros solis was
conferred on them. In _ those days
when they thought to read the use and
medical properties of a plant from ex-
ternal appearances, they came to the
conclusion that they surely had a
remedy for wasting diseases, to wit, con-
sumption and other chronic troubles.
To arrive at this conclusion they
reasoned in the following manner, that
the sun being unable to dry up this
secretion on the leaves, the plant must
surely possess the life-giving properties.
Alchemists also became interested in
this plant and thought they had now
found the thing to yield them the
elixir of life, and the long sought for
material for gold tincture. Arnoldus
de Villanova, the chemist, who was pro-
fessor at Barcelona, at the end of the
sixteenth century, but later banished
by the Spanish clergy under the stigma
of gold maker and scholar of the devil,
contributed greatly to the fame of this
plant. He prepared in Italy, to which

62 THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

country he fled, his celebrated gold
water (Aquae auri), from the plant,

which should heal all diseases, so that :

it was made into a pleasant tasting
mixture, under the name of Rosoglio
(from Ros solis, sun-dew), and it is still
to this day prepared and used in Italy.
The German botanist Roth in the year
779 was the first to describe the nature
and use of these so-called dew drops.
He noticed on several small hairs bent
to a central point, and also that the
margin of the leaf was slightly curled
towards the centre. When he exam-
ined several of these closed leaves he
generally found inclosed a more or less
decomposed insect. The closed leaf he
compares to a many fingered fist. On
this discovery he planted several speci-
mens in pots at his home, so as to be
able to more accurately observe their
nature. When a live ant or small bug
was placed on the surface of the leaf, it
was observed that the exuded fluid
adhered to the feet of the insect and
forming small threads, in this way pre-
venting its escape. After a_ short
period the hairs on the leaf were
noticed to bend upon themselves, and a
little later the marginal hair also. It
took several hours before the leaf had
completely closed, when it resembled a
new leaf making its appearance. The
same careful observer also noticed that
they were more sensitive in warm air and
sunshine than during cold and rainy
weather. Further observations showed
that they were not so sensitive to inor-
ganic substances, as to live insects, also
that the long leaved plant to possess it-
self of its prey rolled up on itself from
the point, while in the Rotundifolia, it
merely formed a trough, the work of de-
struction being carried on by the hair.
These repeated observations of differ-
ent botanists were not further studied

|

for eighty years, until recently, when
the plants again attracted the attention
of naturalists. Besides the English
naturalists, Darwin and Bennett, and
the Frenchman Ziegler, an American
lady, Mrs. Mary Treat, of Carolina, has
distinguished herself as an observer of
these plants. She experimented with
ordinary ones found in the swamps, and
also with the more rarer one, the Drosera
filifera, and saw not only small insects,
such as ants, spiders and flies caught,
but sometimes larger ones, such as the
ordinary miller, which flies around our
lamps during summer evenings. If she
placed insects or small pieces of raw
meat on the leaves during the warm
hours of the day, it was observed that
the leaf soon commenced to fold up,
which was generally complete in two
hours. While a piece of raw meat
irritated it as readily as an insect, such
substances as grains of salt, pieces of
lime, grains of corn, etc.,had no effect in
twenty-four hours. Wet lime naturally
irritated on account of its caustic prop-
erties. There is no doubt that the leaf
has the power of distinguishing between
mineral and animal substances. Mrs.
Treat even believes to have observed
that they are acted on by these from a
distance, because in July, 1873, she
fastened a living fly at a distance of one-
half an inch above the leaf, and after
forty minutes noticed that it was
strongly bent upwards, and in ten
minutes more had seized it within its
arms of prey.
(To be Continued.)

A REFERENCE TABLE in shape of a
bookmark, containing the Fahrenheit,
Celsius and Reaumur thermometer
scales, inch and centimetre measure,
foreign money, etc., sent gratis on re-
ceipt of two cents postage.

Address THE AQUARIUM.

THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893. 63

IO

AQUATIC PLANTS FROM SEED.

To grow aquatic plants from seed,
take an ordinary square crockery pud-
ding-dish, cover the bottom of same
one half inch deep with clean, sharp
sand which has been baked in an oven
to kill all germs of convervae. On this
sand sprinkle sufficient cold water,
which has also been freed from any
spores by boiling, to make it reach to
just below the surface of the sand. On
this wet surface sow the seeds and cover
them by sifting dry sand prepared as
above over them to a thickness of less
than a straw. The moisture from the
sand below will soon penetrate to the
new surface and the seeds are thus
evenly imbedded. Cover the dish with
a pane of window glass to avoid too
rapid evaporation, keep in strong light
but protect against the direct rays of
the sun. Never allow the surface to
become dry, but when sprinkling always
use water that has been boiled; of
course when used it should be of ordin-
ary temperature. When the seeds be-
gin to sprout and show above the sand,
use the water more liberal and keep on
raising the water depth from time to
time at the same rate as the young
seedlings grow. They should always
be near the water surface. If, in spite
of all precaution, fine green convervae
growth begins to appear on the young
plants or on top of the sand, introduce
some young frog-tadpoles, the younger
the better; these feeding on the conver-
vae will soon clean the plants without
injury to the latter. When the seed-

lings have completed their third or

fourth leaf, they should be transplanted
or thinned out, but they must be kept
under the same careful treatment until
they are strong enough to outgrow any
injuries.

THE SAGITTARIA FRANCIS M.

Our seedling Sagittaria, ‘‘ Francis
M.,” which is now two years old, proves
to be an aquarium plant of the very
highest order. All winter it is very
attractive through its broad ribbon-like
leaves (blades), which are of a delicate,
but brilliant green. The network of
veins in these leaves are almost as dis-
tinct as those of the Patamogeton
crispus. ‘The leaves, although rather
strong, are by no means stiff looking ;
they are always in graceful curves, no
two being alike. Last February the
aireal leavesappeared. Ona triangular
stem these rise eighteen inches above
the surface of the water. They are
lance-shaped, strong in texture and
gracefully curved. Never more than
five leaves are in perfection at once ;
whenever a sixth one appears, the oldest
one turns yellowand is promptly re-
moved with the knife. In the begin-
ning of March it sent up the first flower
spike, which bore twenty-four perfect
flowers. These opened in succession,
each day three, thus the spike remained
in bloom for nearly ten days. ‘The in-
dividual flowers are of the size of a
quarter of a dollar, pure white, with
rich yellow stamens. They are not fra-
grant however. We were just looking at
the last faded flowers when we noticed
a second flower spike shooting up above
the surface of the water; this having
bloomed a third one appeared, and now,
June 20th, while we are writing this,
the fourth flower spike is about six
inches above the water and will display
its flowers in about three days. Now
if we consider that this plant was raised
from seed in an ordinary parlor aquar-
ium near a window in our room, from
seed which was obtained by crossing
two distinct species, which were also

64 THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893.

growing in aquariums in our sitting
room, the result is remarkable, and
shows what can be done in an aquarium
which is properly located. The plant

grows in ordinary aquarium sand and
gold fish and tad-poles are its com-
panions.

We cheerfully answer at once, all
queries made in regard to Aquariums
or Window Gardening if return postage
is enclosed.

EK. H. H.—N. There are a great
many species of Ludwigia in this coun-
try ; only three, however, including my
own, are useful for an indoor aquarium.
The Polyconum is very beautiful in
ponds or basins, where seen from above,
especially when in bloom, but they
amount to but little indoors.

Aquatic plants should be grown on
the same principle as house-plants are.
Small glass salve jars are excellent ‘pots’
for them; sharp sand is most suitable
for them; some species, however, delight
in a soil consisting of two parts sharp
river sand and one part peat, while
again some prefer a heavy rich clay.
Water poppy (Limnocharis Humboldt)
will do best if grown in rich soil ina
water depth of about three to eight
inches. Our native water plants may
all be grown fora short period in a par-
lor aquarium, but most of them will
soon perish, so soon that it hardly pays
to introduce them into a collection.
The only reliable plants are those which
were grown under cultivation and con-
ditions similar to those that await them.

It is always risky to introduce plants
into an aquarium that were collected in
creeks or ponds, as they may contain
the eggs of injurious insects and mol-
lusks, or the spores of undesirable fungi.

Mrs. H. B.—N. O. Putting a whole
or a half sheet of prepared fish-foed in
an aquarium with the intention to
give the fish their weekly allowance
at once, can be compared to placing
enough fresh beef on a dinner table
to last for a week. It will not only lose
its value as food, but will also poison
the water. Offer your fish food every
day, but if they don’t seem to care for
any, don’t give them any. At no time
should any food remain on the bottom
of the aquarium; remove it by means of
a dipping tube.

Mr. G. A.—L. To secure free bloom-
ing of Anthurium = scherzerianum,
transplant in August and not disturb
it in spring.

Mrs. N.—D. Tomake dahlias bloom
profusely, nip off the tip end in July
and cause them to branch out. Do not
enrich the soil, but keep it well worked.

Mrs. R.—C. Place your rubber-
plant out doors where it is shaded from
the hot sun. If there is no danger of
its getting stolen, leave it out doors
over night. Rubber plants delight in
night air. Never let it suffer from
want of water.

A second aquarium society has been
formed in New York city since the
last issue of THE AQUARIUM. Its
name is ‘‘Salamander.” Dr. A. von
Duering was elected president and Mr.
H. V. Letkemann secretary. The
‘Salamander ” had an exploring excur-
sion to Bronx River Park for its mem-
bers May 21st, which was well attended.

Fine Zeitschrift in Deutscher Sprache
FUER

Practische Naturkunde, Aquarium, Terrarium und Zim-=-
mergaertnerei in Nord=Amerika. |

Alle viertel Jahre erscheint ein Heft. Abonnementspreis, $1.00 das Jahr.
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See CAC) M/E ee,
‘173 NOSTRAND AVENUE, BROOKLYN, N. Y.

). HUGO MULERTT,
Aquarium Plants¢ Ornamental Fish
173 NOSTRAND AV., BROOKLYN, N. Y.

NO STORE. New Catalogue and Price List now ready.

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A WEEXRLY JOURNAL.
THE ONLY PUBLICATION IN AMERICA EXCLUSIVELY DEVOTED TO THE

2 Fishing Interests, Fish and Oyster Culture, Fresh
E and Salt Water Angling, Etc.

A VALUABLE MEDIUM FOR THE ADVERTISER. TRY IT,
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& E, JENNINGS & CO., Publishers. 317 Broadway, New York.

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MANUFACTURER OF

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