EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 117 



several years. Specimens of lung fishes and electric eels have 

 been secured and are now awaiting shipment from Brazil. 



Three specimens of a remarkably showy fish from the 

 upper Amazon River {Pterophyllum scalar e) , obtained last fall, 

 are alive and doing well. This species is as oddly shaped and 

 strangely marked as though it had been found among the coral 

 reefs of Polynesia. 



During the past year an especially attractive exhibit of sea- 

 horses has been maintained. There are at present probably not 

 less than two hundred of these interesting fishes being exhibited 

 in two good sized tanks. 



In the fall a special effort was made to stock all reserve 

 tanks for the winter, and there is now, both in the exhibition 

 and reserve tanks, a collection sufficiently large to insure good 

 exhibits against ordinary losses for several months. The large 

 reservoir of stored sea water, which has been in use for five 

 years, is a most valuable asset, and the keeping of a large 

 amount of aquatic life in restricted quarters is now possible with 

 very moderate losses. We may safely claim success in provid- 

 ing good living conditions for our large collection of aquatic 

 forms. 



Aside from the school of porpoises, the only mammal on 

 exhibition at the Aquarium is the California sea lion, which has 

 been here about five years. The Aquarium has not lately at- 

 tempted to keep other species of seals or the manatee, for the 

 reason that large lung-breathers cannot be properly accommo- 

 dated in the matters of pure air, light and space, in the present 

 building. 



Among the tropical fishes brought in during the year were 

 several species either new to science or not previously exhibited 

 at the Aquarium. Among these may be mentioned a new species 

 of blue parrot-fish {Pseudosca^'us plumbeus) , known only by 

 three specimens from Florida and Bermuda. Two additional 

 specimens of a new and remarkably beautiful species of parrot- 

 fish (Angelichthys) were obtained from Key West. The species 

 has hitherto been known from a single specimen. 



Other rare species to be mentioned in this connection are a 

 batfish (Ogcocephalus radiatus) , the catalufa {Priacanthus are- 

 natus) , a ray {Urolophus jamaicensis) , a snapper (Neomaenis 

 ambiguous) , the amarillo {Caranx bartholomaei) , the Key West 

 red parrot-fish (Sparisoma xystodon) , a trunk fish (Lacto- 



