GILL ON THE GOURAMI. 723 



fortunate, all liaving died at Suez (18(35, 357, 425, 5-40) ; equally unsuc- 

 cessful were consign meats made by M. Autard de Bragaid (1805, •488 ; 

 18(50, 485-487). In the last case, we are told by M. Berthelin, who took 

 charge of them, twenty had been selected the evening before the depart- 

 ure of the vessel, those selected being about three inches; these, were 

 placed in the vessel in a zinc vase, in a dark place, and the water was 

 renewed every day with river- water ; but, in spite of all, the fishes soou 

 died, two on the day after leaving port, twelve in the night of the sec- 

 ond or third day, and tuo on the next succeeding one, while the four 

 remaining were transferred into a porcelain vase and lived a number of 

 days, (from the I8th to the 30th of May,) but finally succumbed (to the 

 excessive heat, it was supposed) in the harbor of Aden (18GG, 485, 487, 

 493, 509). M. Berthelin added suggestions for future guidance, and 

 recommended Egypt as an intermediate station for the acclimatization 

 of the gourami (18(50, 598). 



Again, in 18i57, gouramis were brought living into France. First, M. 

 Berthelin and M. Grandidier, in May, arrived at Marseilles with sixteen 

 fishes out of an original lot of one hundred : six, however, soon died^ 

 and the rest followed some time after (1807, 441) ; and again M. Autard 

 (le Bragard was successful, reaching Marseilles (near the end of July) 

 with five fishes out of twelve with which he embarked at Mauritius, and 

 these were even received in Paris, and confided (July 17) to the care of 

 M. Dumeril in order to be kept in the reptile-house of the Museum of 

 Natural History (1807, 550-552). These thrived for some time (1807^ 

 640), and until October, when on account of the fall of the temperature^ 

 they suddenly succumbed — one on the 4th, two on the 5th, and the last 

 two on the 0th. The temperature of the water, nevertheless, had not 

 declined lower than 13° centigrade (55.40 Fahrenheit) f and that cold 

 was the cause of death was rendered evident by the sluggishness of the 

 fishes near this temperature, and their revival when warmer water was 

 injected, to be again succeeded by de[)ression when the temperature 

 again fell (1868, 352). 



An attempt was also made from another quarter to give France the 

 coveted fish. M. Henry Rozy sent from Bantam, in the island of Java,, 

 fifteen gouramis, and also the branchlets of a tree containing nests of 

 the fish ; eleven of the fishes ivere received at Marseilles alive, having 

 made the long voyage without apparent detriment, but on the night of 

 their arrival, the cold being too great for them, they died ; nothing has- 

 been recorded as to the fate of the eggs ('1871, 646). 



Invoices of gouramis app.^ar to have been also received, within the- 

 last 3'ear or two, hy M. Pierre Carbonuier; but a failure of reception of 

 the numbers of the " Bulletin de la Societe d' acclimatation," containing 

 the accounts, prevents us from giving full information at this time. Mr.. 

 Carbounier, however, seems to have had unusual success in keeping his 

 fishes alive. In August, tWenty-two S[)ecimeus of anabas and six gou- 

 ramis were brought from Calcutta to Galles by M. Paul Carbonuier, and 



