56 



THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893. 



The TXquhriutvt. 



A Quarterly Magazine. 



50 cts. a Year. Single Copies, 15 cts. Each. 

 Sample Copies Free. 



Advertising Rates on Application. 



HUGO MULERTT, Publisher, 

 173 Nostrand Av., Brooklyn, N. Y. 



liiscs, which abound in all our lakes ; 

 this rich and nutritious diet undoubted- 

 ly giving to the fish the delicate flavor 

 for which it is so eagerly sought. White- 

 fish live in shoals and go to the shallow 

 water to spawn in October or Novem- 

 ber. They deposit a great number of 

 eggs, which they drop loosely on the 

 sand. Naturally, a great many are 

 thus lost, either devoured by other fish 

 or Crustacea, or, what is more destruc- 

 tive, are washed upon the shore during 

 storms. To counterbalance this loss to 

 the fishing interest, the governments of 

 the several States bordering on the 

 lakes have established " hatching-sta- 

 tions" near the lakes, where the eggs 

 of this valuable fish are properly cared 

 for until hatched. When old enough, 

 the young fish are turned into the lakes 

 to grow. The eggs are procured from 

 the old fish captured for the purpose. 

 The eggs and milt are extruded from 

 the body by compression in the hands; 

 the impregnation is subsequently done 

 by artificial means. 



It may not be improper to state in 

 this connection that all fish of the 

 maraene family merely dro]) their eggs 

 and leave them to hatch as best they 

 can, not protecting them with sand or 

 gravel as does the salmon. 



{To he Continued.) 



HOW TO CREED THE PARADISE 

 FISH. 



In the spring of the year when the 

 weather becomes warm and the tem- 

 perature of the water in the Aquarium 

 rises to about 70°F. the breeding tank 

 is arranged. Such a tank is best when 

 narrow and long and in height not less 

 than twelve inches, inside. If it is to 

 be made to order, have it as long as the 

 window is wide. Put sand in the bot- 

 tom and arrange plants and rockwork 

 in two or three different groups, (but be 

 careful not to introduce the carnivorous 

 Utricularia vulgaris, which plant also 

 catches young fish.) one on each end 

 and the third one in the middle. These 

 three groups are then divided off in as 

 many compartments by two panes of 

 glass. These should fit loosely, their 

 support being the sand in the bottom 

 of the tank and wedges of cork on the 

 top. The tank is now filled to one half 

 of its capacity with water, and after this 

 has attained the room temperature, the 

 paradise fish, selected for breeding, are 

 introduced. The male is put in the 

 middle apartment, the female or fe- 

 males to the right or left of him, or 

 one on either side. The food given to 

 these fish should now consist mostly 

 of live insects, cut-up worms, scrajjed 

 raw beef, etc. If the weather is favor- 

 able, clear and warm, you will soon see 

 the male building his bubble nest and 

 parading in his most gorgeous dress 

 alongside the glass wall that separates 

 him from his chosen one. He will ex- 

 pand all of his fins, and with wonderful 

 grace he will execute all kinds of evolu- 

 tions to attract her attention. Has he 

 impressed her favorably she will come 

 close to the glass wall, turning pale, 

 acting, as it were, "bashful." The 

 male tries now to force his way through 



