304 XJ. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



LABELING AQUARIUM EXHIBITS 



Cardboard labels of the ordinary museum type are not suited to the 

 needs of an aquarium, where there is always considerable dampness. 

 The subject matter of labels sometimes is painted on small pieces of 

 plate glass. These can be suspended in front of the aquarium tanks, 

 where they are read easily by the light transmitted through the 

 water. They are expensive to prepare, however, and are broken 

 easily when removed for the cleaning of the tank fronts. Labels of 

 enameled iron are equally expensive and eventually become rusty 

 from moisture. They are not read easily in the rather dim light 

 of aquariums as usually constructed. 



Labels painted on panes of ground glass and inserted into open- 

 ings in the wall above the tanks are satisfactory but expensive. 

 When such labels are placed just below the glass fronts of the tanks 

 and illuminated by artificial light they are also satisfactory, but 

 the cost of inclosing them and of electric current must be considered 

 as well as the cost of painting them. Transparent labels of some 

 sort are desirable, however, for all aquarium exhibits kept in glass- 

 fronted tanks. 



The printed labels of the New York Aquarium are used as trans- 

 parencies by being placed between panes of clear glass and inserted 

 into openings above the tanks. The transparency of the labels, 

 which are printed on white sheets of the thickness of writing paper, 

 can be improved by dipping in paraffin, which serves also to protect 

 them from moisture. The panes of glass containing them are held 

 together by adhesive waterproof tape. Good transparencies can 

 also be secured by printing on thin sheets of celluloid, but the cost 

 is greater and they do not endure repeated cleanings like glass. 



\Vlien two or more species are exhibited in the same tank, the addi- 

 tion of a cut of the fish or other object to the label makes identification 

 simple. 



In the preparation of the labels the character of the questions 

 ordinarily asked by visitors should be kept in mind. Such questions 

 relate chiefly to name, geographical distribution, abundance, size 

 attained, method of capture, whether artificially projoagated, com- 

 mercial value, importance as game, and duration of life in the 

 aquarium. It has been found that lengthy labels are read by com- 

 paratively few persons. They have been condensed as much as 

 possible, therefore. Each statement on the 6 by 12 inch label has 

 been reduced to a single line and made easy for the eye to read by 

 the use of large type. The information they contain has been com- 

 piled from recent authorities, supplemented by extracts from the 

 records of the aquarium. 



LABORATORY AND LIBRARY 



The public aquarium, being a kind of natural history museum, 

 should have one or moi>e rooms available for laboratory work. Its 

 small tanks contain many forms of aquatic life that are of special 

 interest to teachers and biologists. As a public institution it should 

 be able to furnish to schools some of the common and easily procur- 

 able invertebrates used by teachers in classroom instruction. Small 



