ZOOLOGICAL 
sons. But this explanation is in the face of 
evidence which shows that the legions of Nature 
have never been satisfied with half measures— 
and still leaves the Lung Fishes stranded in 
doubt. 
The specimen on exhibition in the Reptile 
House is the Australian Lung Fish (Ceratodus 
fosteri). It is nineteen inches long. For two 
months, in its journey from Australia, it 
traveled in a glass tank several inches shorter 
than itself, refusing food and with no change 
of water. The specimen was brought to us by 
Ellis S. Joseph, who thought it best, while the 
creature was en route, not to disturb it in any 
way. 
Upon arrival at the Park the Lung Fish was 
placed in a plate-glass tank 3144 ft. long by 
two feet wide and covered with a dome of wire 
screen to prevent it jumping from the water— 
a habit noted on board ship. It was develop- 
ing a large patch of fungus, which covered the 
greater part of its head and appeared in patches 
along its back and side. It also refused food. 
Our first care was to destroy the fungus growth 
which showed indications of pitting through the 
skin. 
The water in the tank was dropped to a depth 
of about an inch when the creature was gently 
rubbed with a swab of cotton dipped in a solu- 
tion of permanganate of potassium—the solu- 
tion mixed to show a deep amethyst hue through 
a glass jar. The bathing process was continued 
for ten minutes, when the water in the bottom 
of the tank was run off and the tank filled. This 
treatment was continued every alternate day for 
about two weeks, when the fungus was entirely 
destroyed. 
After a week in the Reptile House the Lung 
Fish commenced feeding. We had cabled to 
the London Zoological Gardens, where a speci- 
men had lived for a number of years, and asked 
the authorities what food they had used. They 
advised chopped raw beef and lettuce leaves. 
Our specimen fed sparingly upon the beef, but 
refused the lettuce leaves. We later killed sey- 
eral small frogs, cutting these in small pieces, 
and they were taken with much more interest and 
to a greater amount than the beef. Later we 
tried earthworms and these were taken in con- 
siderable amounts, about ten at a meal, and 
appear to furnish the most suitable food. 
This creature now appears to be in perfect 
and vigorous condition. It spends much of its 
time lying motionless upon the bottom of its 
tank, then rises in strong swimming movements 
exploring the tank for five minutes or so, when 
it goes to the top for a generous gulp of air— 
amphibian fashion—after which it again retires 
SOCIETY BULLETIN 15 
to the bottom. The trips to the surface for air 
appear to be quite as frequent as those of a big 
Japanese salamander in a nearby case. 
The specimen has been provided with a large, 
descriptive label, has attracted much interest 
from the public and has been photographed for 
the Society’s records. The writer has prepared 
a very complete series of motion pictures of the 
Lung Fish, for exhibition at the Annual Meet- 
ing of the Society. 
The Lung Fish was purchased from funds 
provided by the John L. Cadwalader bequest 
for the purchase of animals. 
A GREAT ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTOR. 
All intelligent persons should know and re- 
member that the wild animal collectors and 
dealers are to be counted among the best friends 
and strongest allies of the zoological parks of 
the world. Without them we would indeed be 
compelled to struggle mightily to obtain for our 
collections the best wild beasts and birds of 
other lands. Foolish and shortsighted is the 
director who drives hard bargains with the men 
who laboriously roam through wild lands, risk 
their lives on land and sea, and stake all their 
money on the fickle fortunes of eccentric wild 
creatures that are prone to die without warning 
or reasonable excuse. 
Mr. Ellis S. Joseph, of the World at Large, 
is a remarkable man. ‘Tall in stature, big in 
heart, a marvelous engine of energy, intelligent, 
fair and square, it is a pleasure to know him, 
and to count him as an ally. Fortunately for us, 
we had sufticient animal instinct to appreciate 
the work of this tireless collector from the first 
hour of our personal acquaintance. One strong 
feature in his favor is his almost fanatical de- 
votion to the pursuit and care of zoological 
rarities. But for a lapse on the part of the 
government of New South Wales, he would have 
brought to us this year a living platypus, with 
the koala, the blue bird of paradise, the “‘ex- 
tinct” turquoisine parrakeet and the ceratodus. 
Mr. Joseph is 48 years of age, he stands 6 
feet in height and he weighs 275 pounds. He is 
at home everywhere in the southern half of 
Africa, in Australia, New Zealand, England, 
America, Panama and the Pacific islands. He 
handles all kinds of wild beasts and great 
snakes, and he is as proud of a feather-tailed 
marsupial opossum as some collectors are of ele- 
phants. To see him reach into a crate, seize a 
big kangaroo by the tail, drag it forth strug- 
gling and kicking and hold it up in midair for 
your admiration, is a daily incident possible only 
to him. 
