33° 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



HAULING IN THE SEINE. 



the purpose of securing specimens for the 

 Aquarium, most of the species originally placed 

 in them have become extremely abundant, in 

 fact, some of the lakes have gradually become 

 so overstocked that the fishes are rather stunted 

 in size from lack of food. Frequently the col- 

 lector after making his selections throws back 

 one end of the seine and allows hundreds of 

 fishes to swim away. 



As far as the lakes are concerned, it would 

 perhaps be better if the in- 

 crease from year to year 

 could be removed syste- 

 matically. In the rivers, 

 overstocking does not take 

 place, as predatory fishes, 

 such as bass and pickerel, 

 devour great numbers of 

 the young of other species, 

 thus checking their in- 

 crease. 



When a haul of small 

 fishes is made from an 

 overstocked lake, quantities 

 are often turned over to the 

 keepers of the bird houses 

 at the Zoological Park and 

 Central Park Menagerie as 

 food for sea birds. 



five hundred and forty 

 pounds. Its total length 

 was five feet nine inches, 

 and the length of its top 

 shell was four feet and six 

 inches. This is the largest 

 green turtle ever brought 

 to the Aquarium. 



The writer has seen noth- 

 ing as large in any museum 

 in America and does not re- 

 member having seen any- 

 thing approaching it in Eu- 

 rope. 



It died from injuries re- 

 ceived during shipment and 

 was sent to the American 

 Museum of Natural His- 

 tory. 



The Key West turtle 

 ' '' shippers claim that they get 



at least one turtle a year 

 weighing as much as six 



hundred pounds and an order has been placed 



with them for another specimen. 



The green turtle ranges the Atlantic from 



Long Island to Brazil, but is rarely seen far 



north. 



The four hundred pound loggerhead turtle, 



the three hundred and thirteen pound green 



turtle, and the sixty pound hawksbill turtles, 



which have been in the .\quarium for several 



months are in fine condition. 



IN SEPTEMBER the 

 Aquarium received from 

 Key West, Florida, a 

 srreen turtle which weighed 



L.\N111.NG IHE 



