Sr.r-T. 11, 



Vo.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



225 



<'ally speaking, is vei'y rapid motion ; and as it can be 

 detected in a few seconds by telescopic comparison of 

 the moon's place with that of some fixed star, it serves 

 to show the time within a few seconds, which is pre- 

 <^^isely what is required by the seaman. Theoretically, 

 all he has to do is to take the moon's apparent distance 

 from a known star, and also her height and the star's 

 Jieight above the horizon. Thence he can calculate 

 what would be the moon's distance from the star at the 

 moment of observation, if the observer were at the 

 <-arth's centre. But the Nautical Almanac informs him 

 ■of the precise instant of Greenwich time corresponding 

 to this calculated distance. So he has, what he requires, 

 the true Greenwich time. 



It will be manifest that all methods of finding the 

 •way at sea, except the rough processes depending on 

 the log and compass, require that the celestial bodies, 

 (ir some of them, should be seen. Hence it is that 

 cloudy weather for any considerable length of time, 

 occasions danger and sometimes leads to shipwreck and 

 loss of life. Of course, the captain of a ship proceeds 

 with extreme caution when the weather has long been 

 •cloudy, especially if according to his reckoning he is 

 drawing near shore. Then the lead comes into play, 

 that by soundings, if possible, the approach to shore 

 may be indicated. Then also by day and night a careful 

 watch is kept for the signs of land. But it sometimes 

 liappens that despite all such precautions a ship is lost ; 

 for there are conditions of weather which, occurring 

 when a ship is nearing shore, render the most careful 

 look-out futile. These conditions may be regarded as 

 included among ordinary sea-risks, by which term are 

 understood all such dangers as would leave a captain 

 blameless if shipwreck occurred. It would be well if no 

 ships were ever lost save from ordinary sea-risks ; but 

 unfortunately ships are sometimes cast ashore for want 

 <if care ; either in maintaining due watch as the shore is 

 approached, or taking advantage of opportunities, which 

 may be few and far between, for observing sun, or moon, 

 or stars, as the voyage proceeds. It may safely be said 

 that the greater number of avoidable shipwrecks have 

 iljeen occasioned by the neglect of due care in finding the 



THE PARADISE FISH AND ITS NEST. 



Bt C. F. Holder. 



rPHOSE who are familiar «iili the dilHenltlcs that 

 X attend the transportatinn nf fiii-ci-n an. I irojiical 

 ;iish to this latitude will aiipreciatr il.c I'a.'i tlial iua, 

 paradise fishes (Macropodus viridi-'i ni-iil n^) liav.' lutii 

 safely brought from India, and arc lluui l>liin'4' in an 

 aquarium in the museum-room at I'liUon Maik. i. Tiny 

 seem perfectly acclimated, and it is h())i'il ili;it i Iny may 

 be introduced into American wafeis in tlic latmnU' froiu 

 which they were taken. That they Nvuul.l i^imvc an ac- 

 quisition, no one could doubt aft'cr a, cnitciiiiilat Ion of 

 their raovcnicuts, and 1 am indcMc.l to i'n.f. 11. J. Kice 



In its natlvr cnunt ly tin' |.,m,,.|i..' fish has a somewhat 

 unenviable i-.iailal inn.' Ii, iiu |.ii u uious in the extreme ; 

 so much so, indeed, tliai ii is u-i d by the Siamese very 

 much as the Malays use the game-cock. 



The native name of the fish is plakat, and in every 

 town they can be found kept in glass jars and domes- 

 ticated to a remai'kable degree, the possibilities of which 

 are well shown in the actions of the Fulton Market 

 specimens. The Siamese use the fish principally in 



fighting, the method being to place them in glass vessels 

 near each other, when they soon become enraged. When 

 fully aroused they are placed together, and the result is 



attended with all the excitement of the prize-ring, the 



r \:.\],.; 



1 ranee when excited 

 iLrhting purposes is 



in a state of quiet, with the fins at 

 present nothing remarkable. But 



frill round the throat, adds .somethii 

 general appearance. In this state of i 

 repeated darts at its real or reflects i 

 the fish, when out ..f .■ad, ,.t],vv\ si-hi 

 quiet. This descript inn nf tl,, ir am- 

 in 1840, at Sin-apniv, Iv -., .,n,,i Innai) 



a jin 



,>f s, 



iveil 

 e of 



. ,,f water, fed with th 

 mrV.|'!r. '. i.i In! tliii-. lived many months. The 

 Siair. ■ I i-'l witli combats of these fishes, and 



3oniLiii!i— . tliLir lilini-iy, and that of their families, is 

 staked ou the issue. The licence to exhibit fish fights 

 is farmed, and yields a considerable revenue to the 



Aftei 





such a description one would nattu-ally e 

 fish of a somewhat ferocious aspect ; but, o 

 contrary, the Fulton Market specimens seem to be 

 thorout.-hly domesticated, and on tlie licst terms of good 

 fellowship. This is probaiilv nulnu- In tl.n farf that 



the pa 



Thr 



.nd fn, 



C lilll.' 



pom 



nsfor 



selvt 





into an entirely difterent creature, 

 ■adise fish in the true sense of the word. They 

 are about 3 to 3.1 in. in length, of a sober greenish-brown 

 hue, with darker and snndl spots. "VTben moving along 

 quietly, thev In.. k v.-rv nm.-li lik.' s. .me of the peculiar 

 forms of gold-fi>h.s ulili t nl..l...l tails, and would, per- 

 hajs, attract bnt li:tl. af.a.ti. ,:. If anythina: occurs to 



e to the 

 ^ readily 



ich or more. Here they seem to join the 

 5 almost twice the width of the fish, also 



iits. 



an arra\. lb.' movements of the fish could 

 iliju -V,..rnl. The waving, plume-like 

 II-, . ..n>t;ii:il\ in motion, forming graceful 



of ] 



fed from his hand, a common trick of the 



