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Definite details as to the effect of 

 tobacco smoke on aquarium denizens 

 would make an interesting article. 



"We behold all round about us one 

 vast union, in which no man can labor 

 for himself, without laboring at the 

 same time for all others." Hyperion. 



The Bishop-Babcock-Becker Company 

 has loaned the Chicago Fish Fanciers 

 Club an electric air-pump, connected 

 complete, to aerate the aquaria to be 

 exhibited at the Art Institute. 



Usually one considers a minnow to be 

 invariably a small fish. The squawfish, 

 Ptychocheilus oregonensis. a member of 

 the minnow family, attains a length of 

 two to four feet, showing that not all 

 "minnies" are little fellows. 



The Starhead, Fundulus or Zygonectes 

 nottii, is a very pretty little spawning 

 fish well worthy of aquarium culture. It 

 is an inhabitant of Florida and neighbor- 

 ing states, and common in the great 

 Okefenoke cypress swamp of southern 

 Georgia. Its iridescent colors are 

 relieved by bold, narrow, horizontal and 

 sometimes vertical black stripings. 

 There is an orange-red spot in front of, 

 and another behind, the eye, and a 

 shining silvery or greenish spot on top, 

 just back of the head. In elegance of 

 color, form and motion, it suggests the 

 Asiatic genus Haplochilus. A few 

 living individuals have recently been 

 brought to New York. 



Editor, The Aquarium: There is 

 something wrong with a pair of 

 Hellerie. I noticed a few days ago that 

 they are covered with little white specks 

 — even the fins and the tail are covered 

 with these specks. They appear as 

 though some one had thrown some fine 

 flour over the fish. I took both out of 

 the tank and gave them a salt bath. I 

 also put quite a quantity of salt in the 

 tank, but I have not noticed any im- 

 provement so far. The water in the 

 tank seems normal. What may be the 

 trouble? Can you give me any advice 

 what to do in this matter? 



August M. Grau. 



Editor, The Aquarium: I would like 

 to take advantage of your inquiry column 

 to the extent of one or two questions. 

 Of course it is early to find daphnia in 

 our waters about here yet, but I under- 

 stand from inquiry that they do not 

 exist in New England. If this is the 

 case, and in any case, is there any place 

 where I can obtain live daphnia at this 

 time, just enough to start a couple of 

 tanks with them? 



In the columns of "The Aquarium" 

 someone suggests the use of a micro- 

 scope to examine fish for parasites, etc. 

 This seems to be a very good idea, as 

 when a fish shows signs of sickness, one 

 hardly knows whether it is parasites or 

 some other trouble; and if parasites, 

 what kind and how dangerous. But I 

 am at a loss to understand how it is 

 possible to examine a live fish vinder a 

 microscope, and if the parasite is so 

 small it cannot be seen without a micro- 

 scope, how do you go about it to get 

 some of these for mounting to examine 

 them under a microscope? I am trying 

 to find something with which I can ex- 

 amine this minute life without remov- 

 ing same from the aquarium. Is this 

 possible? 



W. Stuart Allen. 



