14 ZOOLOGICAL 
SOCIETY 
BULLETIN 
LUNG FISH 
Recent arrival from Australia. 
line Islands and the Yellow-heart Pigeon (P. 
rufigula), a lovely shadow of the Bleeding- 
heart, with the crimson breast paled to golden 
yellow. 
Fruit Pigeons.—The group of fruit pigeons 
contains some of the most brilliant of birds of 
the world but unfortunately their food habits 
make them less easily kept than their grain- 
eating relatives. These beautiful birds are sel- 
dom well represented in collections but Mr. 
Joseph brought three species new to us: the 
Lilac-shouldered (Chlorotreron iozona), the 
Golden-fronted (Sylphitreron  aurantiifrons ) 
and the New Guinea Purple-breasted (Megalo- 
prepria poliura). We seem at last to have 
solved the problem of keeping fruit pigeons and 
still have a number brought us in 1917 by Mr. 
Joseph. Our present series of seven species of 
these gorgeous birds has never before been 
equalled in our history. 
THE LUNG FISH 
By Raymonp L. Drrmars 
HERE are no zoological subjects in the 
world more fascinating than the Lung 
Fishes. The fact that they have continued 
to survive through a period which staggers 
human imagination forms a problem which 
scientists are unable to solve. | Contrary to the 
history of Evolution, which is spectacularly 
written among the rocks and soils and attested 
by the towering fossils of dinosaurs and other 
wierd creatures, the Lung Fishes were halted 
in a transitional stage of evolution and have 
thus remained and survived since the Jurassic 
period, now imbedded in a solidified grave of 
wide-strewn rock from the dim past of over 
thirty million years ago. 
(CERATODUS FOSTERI) 
Exhibited in the Reptile House 
These remarkable creatures were actually 
part fish and part amphibian when wondrous 
changes were taking place and they were defi- 
nitely swinging along the course of evolution 
and out of the strictly aquatic class to become 
air-breathers. Crude limbs of the amphibian 
type were represented by members occupying 
the location of limbs, but in outline like the 
fins of a fish. The fish-like tail was the sole 
other swimming member. There were no dorsal 
or anal fins. 
The body was coated with large and thin 
scales, narrow gills were retained, but the 
swimming bladder had developed into the form 
of a large lung so that it was possible for these 
creatures to actually breathe air. 
According to many phases of animal life that 
have passed through such transitions, this crude 
form, hastening toward another phase of life, 
should have completed its transition, but some 
inexplicable thing happened and while a great 
procession of animal life swept by and with the 
passing of millions of years absolutely changed 
their forms, the Lung Fishes never left the 
water. Their progress in Evolution simply 
ceased—and thus they remained crude, ancient 
forms until the present day, with no similar 
types of such imperfect development anywhere 
on earth to match them except the most ancient 
fossils. 
As an answer to the problem it has been sug- 
gested that the Lung Fishes, consisting of only 
three types and strangely scattered over three 
widely separated areas—tropical South America, 
tropical Africa and Australia——have been “‘rec- 
onciled” to their development, as their air breath- 
ing powers and strictly aquatic adaptability 
meet the requirements of the stagnant waters in 
which they live and enable them to hide in 
crevices and self-made cells when their native 
rivers temporarily go dry during certain sea- 
