against one another like game-cocks. They 
build a nest, a mass of floating bubbles 
under which the eggs are laid and zealously 
guarded until hatching by the male fish. 
Such a nest was started during the exhibition. 
One of the tanks contained a pair of 
mouth breeders, Paratilapia multicolor, which 
earry the eggs in the mouth, and there 
were two allied species seldom seen in 
aquaria, but the African specimens which 
attracted the most attention were of the 
curious and beautiful butterfly fish, Pantodon. 
Several of this rare and interesting fish 
were exhibited, and it was a treat to the 
zoologists who visited the exhibit to see 
living specimens of it. They were generally 
lying inactive near the surface of the water 
and did not show off well. The species is 
more of a curiosity than one _ especially 
adapted to aquarium culture. 
There were many small fish of the family 
Poeciludae shown from Southern America, 
which bear their young alive instead of 
laying eggs, none other so beautiful as 
Xiphophorus helleri. Some splendid males of 
this species, their elongated swordlike tails 
flashing iridescent colors, attracted much 
admiration. Elegantly spotted Girardinus 
reticulatus was one of the most beautiful of 
the live-bearers, and a splendid male Gam- 
busta holbrooki, almost jet black with gleam- 
The 
males of most of these species are brighter 
ing white eye, was much admired. 
and often quite different from the females. 
Several species of Rzvulus, not distantly 
allied to the live-bearers, were interesting, 
but Revulus ruber stayed too near the surface 
and the others were too sluggish to be 
aquarium fish of the first rank. Some very 
beautiful green Fundulus chrysotus from the 
southern United States were perhaps too 
large and clumsy to find general favor. 
The species of the Indian genus Haplochilus 
showed to better advantage in a_ small 
aquarium. A number of species were shown. 
On one aisle Haplochilus senegalensis, 
rubrostigma, chaperi and panchav occupied 
adjacent tanks, beautiful all of them, but 
43 
less beautiful than a tank of elegans across 
the aisle. 
small 
Numerous species of chanchito, 
fresh-water fishes from southern America 
resembling our sunfishes, were very interest- 
ing. 
tive than some of the more delicate kinds. 
These fish are hardy, but less attrac- 
On the other hand, the genus Tetragonopte- 
rus from the same regions are as beautiful 
and graceful as they are rare and_ interest- 
ing. They are quite unlike any fish from 
northern regions, resembling somewhat both 
minnows and catfish, with superficial resem- 
blances in form and in: the minute adipose 
fin in front of the tail on the back to the 
salmon. Tetragonoplerus rubropictus, marked 
with red, and paragoniatus, with a black 
lengthwise stripe, were very attractive. An 
armored catfish (Callichthys), of which there 
were two or three specimens shown, had 
especial interest for the naturalist, and two 
gobies (Eleotris) were interesting because 
so seldom seen in aquaria. 
A single specimen of Rasbora heteromor- 
Its black 
marking, activity and beauty make it a very 
pha was shown. interesting 
attractive aquarium fish. 
In a large tank at the end of the exhibi- 
tion room was an African lungfish, an eel- 
like form with two pairs of feelers like fins. 
The marshes where they live dry up at 
certain times of year, and it then becomes 
encased in the hard, dried mud and breathes 
air. The specimen was shipped to the 
American Museum of Natural History, dry, 
When it 
the mud was carefully softened and broken, 
and the fish readily took up aquatic life 
in a lump of hard mud. arrived 
again in the tank and at once developed an 
appetite for fish worms. 
The exhibition, being arranged especially 
for the tropical fishes which made up so 
large a part of it, did not contain many of 
It is 
only necessary to mention that the bitter- 
the colder-water forms from Europe. 
ling was on view. It was disappointing to 
some that more of our native fishes were 
not shown, but they had for consolation a 
