60 



and heal the skin, is, witli the more tender and excitable 

 sjiecies, more productive of harm than good. Strong salt 

 water is the bath most frequently used. 



It has been found since the establishment of a salt-water 

 aquarium at Central Station that any of our fresh-water 

 tishes will live and thrive in. brackish water at least one- 

 fourth the strength of sea-water (say 1.007), and this treat- 

 ment appears to be a sovereign remedy for the attacks of 

 fungus and animal parasites and diseases common to them 

 in fresh water. Some of the cases in which injuries have 

 been healed by it were very remarkable. 



It appears to be certain also that many, and perhaps all, 

 marine lishes will live in brackish water, and as many 

 species pass into and live for considerable periods in fresh 

 water, it is quite possible that some of them might be per- 

 manently established in our great lakes and rivers. 



In the handling of large lish a piece of cheese-cloth 

 passed around them and grasped at the corners is suj^erior 

 to any net, as it is soft and even in texture and clinging 

 closely to them prevents their floundering about in such a 

 way as to injure the skin or tear off the scales. 



In Europe and especially in Germany many ingenious 

 devices have been developed for the transportation of live 

 tisli, and the custom of taking their lish to market alive is 

 no doubt a stimulus in this direction, and deserves our 

 commendation and emulation. 



The subject is an interesting one and offers a tine field 

 for the inventive genius of American fish culturists. 



