THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION. 297 
Some difficulty was experienced during the heated term in keeping 
white-fish, lake herring, muskellunge, suckers, and small-mouthed 
black bass, but through the courtesy of Hon. C. H. Babcock, of the 
New York Fish Commission, supplies of the small-mouthed black 
bass and muskellunge were sent from time to time to the aquarium 
to supply the losses from various causes. 
Particular attention is called to the display of Salmonidee which was 
maintained throughout the term of the Exposition on a scale never 
previously attempted in the United States. 
Besides drawing on the stations of the Fish Commission for supplies 
of fresh-water fish, arrangements were made with the New York and 
Vermont State fish commissions for collections of game fish indigenous 
to those States. 
One of the most attractive features of the aquarium was the large 
circular pool in the center of the building in which were displayed four 
specimens of the harbor seal. Two of these were loaned by the 
Zoological Park in Washington under the authority of the Secretary 
of the Smithsonian Institution. The other two were captured off the 
coast of Maine by the crew of the U.S. Fish Commission schooner 
Grampus after a pursuit which lasted several days and nights. These 
two specimens were pups which had just been weaned, and it was some 
time before they could be taught to take solid food. It was a matter of 
regret that one of the old seals was lost early in the season and both of 
the pups died during the last week of the Exposition. The food of the 
seals consisted largely of live fish captured in the lagoons and neigh- 
boring river and lake, although at times fish were purchased in the 
markets for them. They consumed about 33 pounds per day each, 
though it is believed that they would eat from 10 to 15 pounds each; 
in fact there seemed to be no limit to their capacity, and fish were 
never abundant enough to thoroughly test, for any length of time, the 
question as to what a large seal would consume. 
The cause of the death of the seals can not be stated definitely, but 
it was noted that they were taken sick after sudden changes in the tem- 
perature, and it is understood that this has been observed before. For 
no apparent reason they would stop eating for a few days; then they 
would commence to eat voraciously, but would lose flesh and develop 
a hump in the back. Every effort was made to remedy the trouble 
by a change of diet and by administering large doses of oil recom- 
mended by persons accustomed to the care of such animals. At the 
close of the Exposition the remaining seal was in excellent condition 
and was transferred to Charleston, S. C., where it was placed on exhibit 
in a salt-water tank. 
In the pool with the seals was an 8-foot sturgeon, and although it 
apparently took no food and was subjected to constant annoyance by 
the seals, it lived until late in September. It is not known whether 
