than ordinary harbor or hair seals. There are now no fur seals alive 

 in captivity. The last pair died in September, 1918, at the aquarium 

 of the Bureau of Fisheries in Washington. They had survived 

 about nine years. 



Collections of specimens must be made from time to time to keep 

 public aquariums properly stocked. Some are made locally and 

 others at distant points. Exchanges may be made occasionally with 

 other aquariums with mutual advantage, though to date this plan has 

 not been adopted to any extent. The personal equation enters into 

 this practice more or less, depending mainly on the acquaintance of 

 the director of an aquarium with officials of similar institutions and 

 Government or State officials. Arrangements may usually be made 

 with the Bureau of Fisheries for shipments of specimens, also for 

 supplies of eggs for incubation in the small hatchery which should be 

 a part of every public aquarium. State fish commissions may also 

 cooperate. 



Specimens secured at a distance require great care in transporta- 

 tion, as fish are especially tender soon after capture. Specimens from 

 4 to 12 inches in length can be successfully transported in ordinary 

 10-gallon cans and larger fishes in larger receptacles. They must be 

 kept at the proper temperature, and the water treated frequently 

 either by lifting in a dipper and allowing to fall back slowly, or by 

 forcing in compressed air through porous wood plugs in hard-rubber 

 or metal liberators, as is done on the fish cars of the Federal and 

 State fishery organizations. A special car is advisable for transport- 

 ing specimens, though a small number of cans may be taken, by per- 

 mission, in a regular baggage car. An attendant should accompany 

 such shipments. Best of all, secure the use temporarily of a State 

 or Government fish car for the transportation of valuable specimens 

 any distance, such as, for example, from the Hudson River to Detroit. 

 Tropical or semi-tropical salt-water specimens are secured chiefly at 

 Key West, Fla., or the Bermudas. They are shipped in tanks on 

 the inclosed decks of vessels, where proper temperature can be 

 secured, the port of entry usually being New York. 



Specimens for display purposes may be purchased from fisher- 

 men, also from a few private breeders of trout, bass, goldfish, bream, 

 sunfish, crappie, etc., in this country. Under ordinary circumstances 

 good supplies of fish for exhibition, and the smaller common species 

 to be fed to the others, may be secured locally by a collector regularly 

 attached to the aquarium staff. 



Ordinarily, deep aquariums are better than shallow ones, as depth 

 adds to the scenic effect, particularly if the lights and shadows are 



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