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A Q I A U I I Al 





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LUNG FISH, PROTOPTERUS ANNECTENS 

 Photo by courtesy of Technical World 



The Lung Fish 



A wonderful fish that can Hve out of 

 water /or at least six months is the 

 latest scientific curiosity to arrive in 

 New York. It came from Africa. The 

 specimen is popularly known as a "lung 

 fish," because when out of water it in- 

 hales air as if it were a land-living 

 animal, though when in the water it 

 breathes through gills. The ability to 

 breathe out of water preserves the life 

 of the lung fish, when caught in the mud 

 of a dried-up stream during the summer 

 drought, until the stream fills up again. 



The fish was received in a dormant 

 condition, coiled up in a cocoon, deeply 

 sunken in a clod of earth which had 

 been dug from a dried-up river bottom. 

 To release the fish from its case, the 

 mass of mud was placed in tepid water 

 to soften the wall of the capsule, which 

 then became soft enough to remove a 

 part of it, when' the fish emerged alive. 

 It is claimed that this species of fish has 

 survived from a very ancient period of 

 time and belongs to the earliest known 

 species of land-living animals that form 

 the connecting link between the true 

 fish familv and four-footed animals. 



Aquarium Exhibitions 



During the latter part of September 

 and the first of October, two notable 

 exhibits of fishes, aquaria and accessor- 



ies will take place in Brooklyn and Xew 

 York. The Brooklyn exhibit is to be 

 held at the store of Abraham & Strauss, 

 Fulton St., Brooklyn, September 22nd 

 to September 27th, inclusive; and the 

 New York show, to be held at the 

 American Museum of Natural History, 

 is announced for October ()th to r2th, 

 inclusive. In both exhibitions a large 

 variety of fishes are to be displayed, 

 comprizing goldfish varitics, tropical 

 and native fishes. Each of these main 

 classes are arranged in several sub- 

 classes and cover practically all the 

 fishes owned by American aquarists. 

 Prizes are to be awarded for the best 

 individual specimens in the several 

 classes, for the largest and for the rarest 

 collections in each of the main classes. 



These two shows will i)ring out the 

 best specimens in the Hast and should 

 furnish a very lively competition. as there 

 is much good stock in both cities. Those 

 who live in the vicinity of Xew York 

 and Brooklyn should not miss this op- 

 portunity to see these exhibitions as 

 there will be much to see and learn. 



The study of Nature is an intercourse 

 with the highest mind. You should 

 never trifle with Nature. At the lowest 

 her works are the works of the highest 

 povers, the highest something in what- 

 ever way we may look at it. — Louis 

 Agdssiz. 



