accounts for their presence in all exposed 
bodies of rain 
puddles. 
The Amoeba, together with other micro- 
water, even temporary 
scopic life, undoubtedly forms the essential 
food of the newly-hatched fry. 
as it is, of protoplasm the living matter, it 
Composed, 
should be the substance nutritious par ex- 
cellence. It is always present in the humus 
on the bottoms of aquaria. 
Daphnia 
C. J. HEEDE, Brooklyn 
A species of Entomostraca, order Clado- 
The head 
is large, rounded above and possesses large 
cera. ‘The common water-flea. 
antenne which extend upward therefrom. 
The forward portion of the head culmin- 
ates in a more or less prominent beak. The 
eves are spherical with about 20 lenses. 
Jaws possess a strong submaxilary ending 
in four horny spines three of which curve 
inward. 
The antenne are used like oars, project- 
ing the animals in a series of spasmodic 
jerky motions through the water. Daphnia 
are frequently found in ponds and ditches, 
in such numbers as to color the water a 
blood-red especially where the water is 
stagnant. While daphnia are a favorite 
with the microscopist, they are unexceled 
as a food for all varieties of aquarium 
fishes, either alive or dried and powdered. 
They are easy to keep alive and breed, 
when placed in a tank with 6 to 8 inches 
of water and a layer of sand about 2 inches 
deep on the bottom. They must be fed 
sparingly with chicken manure. They are 
also good scavengers as they destroy alge 
and will clear the water of all impurities. 
The female daphnia carries the eggs on 
her back, and these when laid hatch in- 
stantly. Late in the Fall they produce 
eggs which are hardier and can stand a 
much lower temperature. Daphnia can be 
collected all year round, even when ice 
covers the ponds. In places where they 
45 
are plentiful a cut in the ice will be the 
signal for them to appear in the opening, 
especially if any artificial light is used. 
They invariably seek light and sunshine 
but in cold weather keep near the bottom. 
The ‘“‘Lion-head’’ Goldfish 
WM. T. INNES, Jr., Philadelphia 
HE “Lion-head” has for the past 
several years been the most highly 
prized and costly fish among Japanese 
fanciers. The two peculiarities distinguish- 
ing this breed are the absence of dorsal fin 
and a growth over the head somewhat 
resembling in form the protuberances of a 
raspberry. The latter development only 
appears in pronounced form in the mature 
fish, and in a large percentage of instances 
not at all. It has been claimed that the 
dorsal fins are extracted by the Japanese 
JAPANESE LION-HEAD GOLDFISH 
Photograph by Wm. T. Innes, Jr. 
breeders, but this is manifestly impossible, 
for the seales are perfectly formed where 
the fin should have been and furthermore a 
number of these fish have been bred, show- 
ing no dorsals, in Philadelphia under the 
observation of the writer. 
The body is short and thick and most 
specimens scaled. Tails double and short 
in all thus far observed in this country. 
We are indebted to Mr. Barrett for the 
loan of fish from which illustration was 
made. 
