82 NEW “YORK ZOOLOGICAL, "SOGIETY. 
ways; their colors fade and they do not feed well. An increase 
in density has a good effect on the entire salt-water collection. 
The following table, giving the monthly mean density of the 
water used at the New York Aquarium during the past year, will 
serve to show at a glance the conditions under which the salt- 
water fishes have been living there. With the density of fresh 
water at 1.000 and the density of the open ocean at 1.028, it will 
be seen that under average conditions the water was at least half 
fresh, while at times it became almost entirely so. 
MONTHLY MEAN TEMPERATURES AND SPECIFIC GRAVITIES AT THE 
NEW YORK AQUARIUM DURING THE YEAR 1903. 
(From the daily observations made by Mr. W. DeNyse.) 
Months. pours Specific gravity. 
Pebriary. 7 seve oe has: 274 1.010 
INTAGCHRE terete ec et tie 40 1.008 
TNO) 1 le ahh 5 Aran ae oie EP aR gy 40 1.009 
ISTE aha seeder aS ani eel A Aedataecaeel Be 56 1.014 
linemen ee et aoe te tee 61 1.013 
sty tao necdn eh ik RAE ea eee 66 1.013 
ZENO CAUISY Caag§ ate, Uo nea ie Ra ae 68 I.013 
SEpLeimDet =: cera ere poe cee 68 1.013 
October eit es or ene eee Oe 62 I.OII 
IN@VeMbel veers cre Se aol ate tee 52 1.014 
Wecember* i... ae ess eke ere ee 40 1.014 
The above table shows only the monthly means. Observations 
were made daily. During the month of March the densities were 
frequently as low as 1.006, on one occasion reaching 1.005. The 
highest densities recorded during the year, were late in May and 
early in June, when the densities were steadily recorded at 1.016. 
The most trying times come in March, when for days the density 
may be 1.006 or 1.007.* 
It would be very interesting to determine just what freshness 
of water fishes from the Bermuda region could endure. A few 
hardy species have lived through all the changes that they have 
been subjected to, and are still in excellent condition. 
Labels.—Transparent labels have been placed over all the wall 
tanks on the ground floor, and will be placed over those on the 
gallery at an early date. The labels are in good-sized letters and 
can be read with comfort. The information which they contain 
is useful and is condensed to a few lines. 
* Density observations were made with samples of water brought to the uniform 
temperature of 60° Fahr. 
