86 



especially so in our streams where species of their parents and lie on one side, the 

 of fish are the more numerous. It has eye on the underside disdains to look 

 greatly limited the growth of most spe- downwards and so begins to move to- 

 cies beyond an average size, and is in ward the other side. The bones of the 

 many places responsible for the fact that head suit themselves to this change and 

 often a species may become dwarfed in soon our flounder has both eyes on the 

 certain bodies of water. In the Salmon same side of the head. The upper side is 

 river in Idaho it was not an uncommon colored much to resemble sand, and the 

 thing to catch trout of three or four under side becomes nearly white. The 

 pounds weight. In the smaller tributaries flounder protects himself by covering his 

 and in the smaller mountain lakes it was body, except the eyes, with sand. Flound- 

 unusual to catch one weighing over one- ers live on sandy bottoms, some in shal- 

 half pound, the average being less than low water, while others are found in deep- 

 one-fourth pound. I have no doubt that est parts of the ocean. If flounders are 

 many of those from the small lakes of placed in an aquarium and arranged so 

 one-half pound were as old as the large the light can fall on the under side of their 

 ones taken from the Salmon river. bodies, this, too, becomes dark, much like 



Fish eat and grow very irregularly, the other side. 



The average size of individuals, which we It is interesting to study the habits of 



would ordinarily call adults, for some fishes in a small aquarium, and to espe- 



species, is different in different bodies of daily notice their ability to change color, 



water. Their growth is influenced large- and how rapidly they do it. So .many 



ly by the size and depth of the body of persons seem to be saturated with the 



water in which they live, also by its tern- idea that an aquarium must have in it one 



perature and the amount of suitable food or more gold fish. This seems to me to 



it contains. The value or extent of each be a mistake when our streams contain so 



of these influences is imperfectly under- many species suitable for the aquarium 



stood. which are far more handsome than the 



The forms of fishes are very numerous, gold fish, and which, if you give them 

 Some are extremely long and slender, as half a chance, will teach you something 

 many of the species of Eels, Pipe-fishes of interest. Mr. Ford, of Berwyn, Illi- 

 and the like, while others are extremely nois, has a small aquarium, in his house, 

 short, like Sunfish of the ocean. Others, in which he keeps from fifteen to twenty- 

 like the Trunk Fishes, are nearly equal in six species of native fishes. Among these 

 all dimensions. The average form and are several species of Darters, the most 

 the one which best suits our idea of a fish, beautifully colored and the most interest- 

 is the Black Bass, or other fishes of simi- ing of all our fresh-water forms. Then 

 lar pattern. To know the advantages of there are Minnows, Suckers, Catfishes, 

 these forms one must study the fishes in Sunfishes, the Pike, Mud Minnow, Top 

 their native element. The peculiar forms Minnow, and so on. To one who would 

 which many species take are the most no- know fishes, any one of these species is 

 ticeable in those found in the tropics. The more desirable than gold fish. The study 

 struggle for existence there is the most of fishes in an aquarium, such as the one 

 severe, and it seems as if each species had possessed by Mr. Ford, is extremely in- 

 labored to take on some peculiar form teresting. They will teach you much 

 which would assist most in its preserva- about their habits, besides giving you 

 tion. In this respect color also plays an many lessons showing their ability to 

 important factor. It is in the tropics and change color and adapt themselves to 

 among the many species of corals that we their surroundings, 

 find the most highly-colored fishes. The Blind Fishes, which inhabit caves 



Many fishes have the power to change in this country, are very interesting. They 



their color, and this they can do in a very have lost their color, if they ever had any, 



short time. The flounders are a peculiar being white. In many the eyes have be- 



family, the young when born are symmet- come so degenerated as to be entirely of 



rical. Early in life they take on the habit no service when the fish is in the light. 



