230 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



accomplished much good work in destroying the 

 larvae of the disease -carry ing mosquitoes. 



The fish are quite small, the females barely 

 attaining to an inch in length, and the males being 

 somewhat smaller. In form they resemble minute 

 tench. In regard to their colour, the former sex 

 are of a dull olive-grey tint, but the males are 

 dressed in a livery of blue, violet, red, and yellow, 

 upon which some small circular and dark-coloured 

 spots are present. Those which were kept at the 

 Zoo were fed principally upon the water-fleas which 

 abound in the hot-water tanks wherein the croco- 

 diles and alligators dwell, but they would also 

 partake of small pieces of hard-boiled eggs, biscuits, 

 cornmeal, meat, and bread. After they had been 

 in residence at the Gardens for a few weeks, a 

 number of young ones were born. These were of 

 special interest inasmuch as they arrived into the 

 world in a fully -developed state, and were not 

 hatched out from eggs or spawn laid by the females, 

 as are the majority of fish. They are very hardy 

 in captivity, and thrive well, provided the tempera- 

 ture of the water in their tanks is not allowed to 

 fall below sixty-six degrees ; but in their native 

 home of Barbados the fish are said to live in quite 

 warm water, and a temperature of eighty degrees 

 is not too high for their liking. 



