GILL ON THE G OUR AMI. 713 



to the size of the egg (about half au iuch, more or less) ;* at the end of 

 the first year, it has grown to a length of about 4 inches ; in the second, 

 to about 7 or 8 ; and in the third, to about 10 or 11, In the third 5 ear, 

 it is sexually developed and commences to spawn. Their growth, how- 

 ever, continues iudefluitely, conditioned by the nature of their home. If 

 their quarters are confined and the water cold, they increase slowly and 

 do not thrive ; but if the water is warm, well aerated, and extensive, 

 and otherwise appropriate, they flourish and increase rapidly. They 

 continue to grow for years, and attain a very considerable age ; and in 

 the island of Martinique, the last introduced therein was killed for the 

 table twenty-seven years after its arrival, and at the time of its capture 

 measured about a meter (or 39 inches) in length. 



STATION AND TEMPERATUBE. 



The gourami, in its native country, (Anam or Cochin China,) is found 

 in brackish as well as fresh waters, and even prefers the former, accord- 

 ing to M. Pierre, the director of the Zoological and Botanical Garden of 

 Saigon, (see Bulletin Imp. Zoo}. Soc. d'Acclim., 1869, p. 45). According 

 to other authors, it is found in running streams, lakes, and ponds, but 

 flourishes best in the last, especially when they are stocked with aquatic 

 plants and have deep and sheltered holes to which the fishes can retreat, 

 and which they especially avail themselves of in cold weather. The 

 countries in which it thrives are in the intertropical belt, with an annual 

 mean temperature, says M. Dabry, of about 2iP to 26"^ centigrade, {i. e., 

 75°.20 to 78^.80 Fahrenheit,) and with the mean of the winter not much 

 less than 19^ centigrade, (66°.20 Fahrenheit,) while the coldest weather 

 is rarely below 14^ or 15^* centigrade (57o.20 to 59<^ Fahrenheit) above 

 freezing. As the temperature of a country is an all-important element 

 to be taken into cousideratiou in estimating the probabilities of success 

 in attempts to introduce this fish, the following table of the tempera- 

 tures of the year and its several seasons in the countries in which the 

 gourami is now found is reproduced from Mr. Dabry's article on that 

 fish. (Bulletin Imp. Zool. Soc. d'Acclim., 1870, p. 676.) The first column 

 of figures in each double column represents the temperature in degrees 

 centigrade, as given by Mr. Dabry, and the second the equivalents in 

 degrees of the Fahrenheit thermometer. 



'According to Mr. Clark, the uewly-hatched are less than half an inch, and accord- 

 ing to Mr. Dahry 2 to 4 centimeters, (i. e., about au inch, more or less,) long; the for- 

 mer statement appears to he the,most probable. 



