ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



737 



in Central Park ; the white fish were all sent to 

 lakes in Dutchess County, New York, when very 

 small; on May 1, we sent 220,000 yellow ))erch 

 to the Bronx Park waters and shortly after 

 ,50,000 to Prospect Park, Brooklyn; the shad 

 were liberated in the Hudson at Rhinecliffe, 

 with practically no loss; on June 1, we sent 

 4,000 Atlantic salmon, 5,000 rainbow trout and 

 4,000 steelhead trout to Millwood, New York. 



The difference between the numbers of eggs 

 received and fry liberated is accounted for, part- 

 ly by loss in the hatcheries ; by the exhibits of 

 fry kept at the Aquarium to be reared, and from 

 the fact tliat we use much of the fry of the com- 

 moner fisli for fish-food. 



West Indian Seals: — We have lost two of the 

 three rare West Indian seals that were added to 

 the collections June 14, 1909. The largest 

 specimen died December 27, 1910, from pneu- 

 monia, and a second one died on .lanuary 16, 

 1911, from the same malady, together with a 

 complication of intestinal parasites. The third 

 specimen is still living. 



Leafherback Turtle: — Another large leather- 

 back turtle was presented and jilaced in one of 

 the large floor pools to swim blindly at the sides 

 until exhausted. Unfortunately we are the re- 

 cipients of one or more of these noble animals 

 each year and always try them in the hojie that 

 they may be induced to take food and content 

 themselves with a life of confinement, but they 

 invariably find their way to a museum within a 

 few davs. 



Sea-JValer: — Three loads of sea water were 

 purchased to replenish the loss during the year 

 from our stored supply. This water is transport- 

 ed from outside of Sandy Hook in a tank steamer 

 in order to avoid the polluted harbor water. 

 Evaporation has concentrated our closed circu- 

 lation water to a density of .0243, whereas the 

 ordinary sea water along our coast is about .022 

 and that of the dense tropical water around the 

 Bermudas is .028. 



Child Welfare Exhibit : — The Aquarium dis- 

 played pictures, statistical charts and three bal- 

 anced aquaria near the exhibits of the other 

 museums of the City at the "New York Child 

 Welfare Exhibit" in the 71st Regiment Armory, 

 from ,Ianuary 18 to February 12. This served 

 to stimulate interest in stocking balanced jars 

 in the public schools, as is attested by the in- 

 creased demand for live specimens and sea- 

 water. 



Battery Park: — The Aquarium looks out on 

 Battery Park at a continually diniiuishiug su|)- 

 ply of trees. These are dying rapidly and no 

 apparent effort is being made to replenish with 



young trees. We fear that a few years more 

 will leave us with a shadeless Park. 



Difnamite Explosioti : — The explosion of dj'- 

 namite in Jersey City on the first day of Feb- 

 ruary, which did so much damage and broke 

 windows in the lower end of the City, played 

 some pranks at the Aquarium. The skylights 

 on the side toward the explosion were lifted, 

 when the air pressure was suddenly removed 

 after the first wave of compression had passed, 

 and dropped again a few inches from their true 

 positions, shattering twenty-three of the panes. 

 INIany of the fragments fell u))on the skylights 

 in the attic, breaking sixteen of the jianes which 

 fell to the main floor together with the glass 

 that broke them. Thirteen windows were also 

 broken in various parts of the building. The de- 

 tonation was heavy, and the simultaneous falling 

 of the glass might well have friglitened the visit- 

 ors, but no great alarm was shown and quiet was 

 quickly restored after the first scramble to avoid 

 tlie falling glass, which luckih' did no damage. 

 Strange to say, none of the heavy aquarium 

 fronts was broken, as occurred during the firing 

 of the heavy guns on the battle ships in the 

 Hudson-Fulton Celebration in 1909. Another 

 strange thing was, that the gas, wherever burn- 

 ing, was extinguished througliout the building. 



Publications : — The publications have been 

 moved from the main entrance, where their sale 

 tended to cause a congestion, to the main floor 

 and placed in charge of the telephone operator. 

 Several displays of the publications have been 

 arranged. 



Telephones: — A switchboard with extensions 

 to the various departments and offices has been 

 installed. This necessitated cutting through 

 the wall and installing a new door between the 

 main floor and the lower office for the conven- 

 ience of the operator and those who wish to use 

 tlie telephone. The wires will enter the build- 

 ing through a conduit via the fireboat dock, 

 thus dispensing with all overhead wires. 



Office: — A partition has been erected in the 

 old laboratory to give the Assistant Director a 

 separate office from that of the Clerk. A row 

 of eleven spacious lockers has been built for 

 storage room and the offices freshened with a 

 coat of paint. 



Salt-JCater Pumps: — A by-pass has been in- 

 .stalled in the engine-room for the harbor water 

 system. This makes it possible to bring a re- 

 serve puni]) into use in case of a breakdown of 

 the regular ])ump. Two punq)s are working all 

 the time, one on harbor and one on storage water 

 and the emergency pump can now be connected 

 with either system. C. G. 



