134 



THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1894. 



their first infancy until their skeletons 

 are perfected, in same position as other 

 fishes do, with their backs up. After 

 that they swim leaning towards their 

 left side until this is finally formed to 

 be their under side. During this period 

 the left eye, not being used, leaves its 

 socket and, gradually crossing over the 

 yet soft skull, settles permanently on 

 the right or upper side of the fish. The 

 lower side not being exposed to light 

 remains colorless or white, while the 

 upper side takes the protective color of 

 the surrounding bottom in which the 

 fish burrows. These young specimens 

 being, as is shown, of especial value, 

 were also preserved by Dr. P. for fur- 

 ther use. 



The captain now ordered the engine 

 of the "Fish Hawk" to go ahead for 

 five minutes and then a fourth dredge 

 was made. When this came aboard it 

 contained besides many shell fish two 

 species of sponge and two or three huge 

 rocks, the latter covered with interest 

 ing low forms of marine life. These 

 stones, however, had torn the net to 

 such an extent that no further dredges 

 could be made. The ''Fish Hawk" 

 was turned homeward, the trawling ap- 

 paratus taken down again, and we all 

 had our hands full to care for those 

 specimens which we had selected to 

 take along for our individual collections. 

 The anemones which Dr. P. had under 

 his care had opened out beautifully, 

 and after having been admired by all of 

 us, they were successfully preserved in 

 this expanded position by the doctor 

 for further use. 



We all agreed that this trip on board 

 of the United States Fish Commission 

 steamer " Fish Hawk " constituted one 

 of the most pleasant and interesting 

 excursions we ever made, and when we 

 had arrived at the United States lig-ht- 



house wharf again at 7.30 P. M. one 

 could see by the countenances of all and 

 the hearty hand-shaking when we left 

 board, that United States Fish Com- 

 missioner McDonald and Captain Pratt 

 had succeeded in making this day a 

 memorable one to all the participants. 



HYACINTH CULTURE IN 

 PIOLLAND. 



We advise everybody, who, sooner or 

 later, intend visiting Europe, not to 

 omit Holland, which is a very inter- 

 esting country. With its many wind- 

 mills, its neat tile roofed houses and 

 beautiful cattle that impart such peace- 

 fulness to the landscape, it is entirely 

 different from any other part of Eu- 

 rope. The people, too, differ to such a 

 degree from their next neighbors, the 

 Germans and the Belgians, that one 

 could think an ocean was between 

 them. In Holland everybody seems to 

 cultivate plants and flowers. One can- 

 not pass a house, in city or country, 

 without seeing well cared for flowering 

 or foliage plants in people's windows. 

 They are generally grown as single 

 specimens in fancy i^orcelain pots 

 (Delft) or in groups in artistically de- 

 signed jardiniers made of same material 

 or of real bronze. Peoj^le seem to rival 

 each other — one is trying to surpass the 

 other in window gardening. Window 

 panes as bright as crystal, lace curtains 

 of an exquisite pattern, and between 

 these are plants in beautiful jardiniers, 

 this is the typical window one sees 

 when strolling through the streets of 

 a town or city in Holland. 



Holland, and especially Haarlem, is 

 famous for growing the best hyacinth 

 and tulip bulbs. For miles around 

 this city the almost exclusive business 

 of the people is to grow flower bulbs for 



