86 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
heating water from the warm underground reservoir, and that 
pumped directly from the harbor in the winter months. The 
reservoir will eventually pay for itself. 
The difficulties encountered in the heating of sea water, by 
means of iron and bronze heaters which corrode and break down, 
have apparently been solved by the employment of a heavy coiled 
heater made of chemical lead. It has already lasted much longer 
than others previously tried and appears to be in perfect con- 
dition. No other aquarium has the problems to contend with 
that have developed here, where sea water is heated in winter 
for tropical species, and fresh water refrigerated in summer for 
northern species. With warm and cold tanks of both fresh and 
salt water, it has four distinct water systems regularly in use. 
The Aquarium is not only ready to do anything that is possible 
in public aquariums elsewhere, but probably something more, 
and with the return of another summer collecting season, inter- 
esting forms of sea life will occupy many of the tanks as perma- 
nent exhibits. About 200 species of fishes are usually kept 
in our 94 glass-fronted tanks, and number from 3,000 to 4,000 
specimens of native marine- and fresh-water species and tropical 
species from the Bermuda Islands. These figures do not include 
the product of the fish-hatchery. The collection of invertebrates 
is as yet limited to local marine forms, but will later include 
tropical species of showy colors. The large floor pools contain 
seals, sea-lions, alligators, crocodiles, large sea-turtles and stur- 
geons. The table aquaria usually contain about twenty species 
of fresh-water turtles. 
During September the large central pool contained two por- 
poises and a leatherback sea-turtle, the latter weighing 840 
pounds. Unfortunately some of the lung-breathing marine ani- 
mals are not adapted to a long life indoors, and it is perhaps un- 
wise to repeat experiments with such as are affected by warm 
air when the building has to be heated. 
Exchanges of fishes were made during the year with the De- 
troit Aquarium, the Sportsmen’s Show in Boston and with the 
Tuxedo Club. 
Tropical fishes were brought from Bermuda, and local sea fishes 
were procured by sending tanks to the fishing banks on the 
steamer “Angler.” Nearly all other specimens obtained during 
the year were gathered by the collector, Mr. John DeNyse, 
or by seining parties sent out from the Aquarium to various parts 
of the lower bay and to park lakes of New York and Brooklyn. 
