SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 83 



rearing- boxes in which young fish are kept while the yolk-sac 

 is being absorbed. All these devices rest upon the broad stone 

 coping of the pool, the pool itself being a receptacle for the young 

 fish after the absorption of the yolk-sac, when they begin to feed 

 freely. 



This hatchery, with its troughs and jars, has a capacity of about 

 two million eggs at one time, and is fitted for the hatching of 

 both fresh- and salt-water species. Through the co-operation of 

 the U. S. Fish Commission it is to be at once supplied with eggs 

 of the brook trout and the whitefish, and arrangements have been 

 made with the Fish Commission for supplies of eggs of various 

 species of fishes in season. It is expected that the hatching of 

 some of the most interesting of our native food fishes will be 

 carried on here during about 8 months of the year. 



EDUCATIONAL WORK. 



In order to bring the Aquarium into closer relations with the 

 educational system of New York the forenoons of Monday and 

 Thursday were set aside for the use of teachers from the public 

 schools with their classes. The Director proposed to the City 

 Superintendent that the biology teachers in the schools be sup- 

 plied with aquarium jars, and offered the services of a compe- 

 tent aquarist to assist in establishing them in the school buildings. 

 This proposition w-as accepted, and several schools have already 

 been supplied with small fresh- and salt-water collections. It is 

 expected to continue this work, which is very highly appreciated 

 by the teachers. The cost of the necessary apparatus and the 

 transportation of the collections w^ill be assumed by the Board of 

 Education. 



A field collector will be appointed on January ist in order that 

 the Aquarium may have a constant supply of local fresh- and 

 salt-water fishes and invertebrates, not only for the purpose of 

 improving and varying the collections in the building, but for 

 furnishing biological material for the use of natural history 

 classes throughout the City. 



The fine collection of balanced aquaria, containing both fresh- 

 and salt-w^ater forms of life, has been enlarged, and it is proposed 

 to increase this interesting series to the full capacity of the lab- 

 oratory room on the second floor. This collection is visited 

 weekly by classes from the schools, and furnishes to the pupils 

 many valuable object lessons. 



The Aquarium has considerable correspondence, and it has 



