96 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
from the British West Indies and South Amer- 
ica. It attains a length of two inches, and the 
male is darker than his mate, shading from 
brown and blue to near black. The fish will lay 
its eggs among the plants or in a flower pot, and 
the male protects them during incubation, which 
lasts about four days. It is well to remove the 
female after she has spawned, and the male 
as soon as the eggs have hatched. 
Their preference is for live food, and they 
require to be fed on small crustaceans, worms, 
flies, ete. 
TropicaL Fisues to Prace ToGETHER 
We do not maintain a “happy family” tank 
of tropical toy fishes at the Aquarium, prefer- 
ring to keep each species by itself. Others 
ZEBRA FISH. DANIO RERIO have found it possible to place together the fol- 
Photograph by Dr. E. Bade lowing species: Guppies, Swordtails, Platy- 
poecilida, Haplochilus, Danios, Barbels, Molli- 
feeds at the bottom. It takes almost any kind  enisia, Gambusia and Januarius. 
of fish, shellfish or meat offered, and is a 
sreedy eater. How vo Breep Meat Worms 
There are no records of the fish having been Meal worms, purchasable at bird and animal 
bred in captivity, though it will live for up- stores, are easily bred by placing them in malt 
wards of five years in the home aquarium. Dojos or corn meal, in a glass receptacle with a cover. 
are found in China, Japan, and Formosa, and A cloth should be laid on top of the malt or meal 
their appearance and habits are similar to those and kept moist. ‘he meal warm is the larva 
of European loaches, which see. of a black beetle, and undergoes the metam- 
orphosis common to such creatures. After feed- 
AISA ing for a few months, the yellow worm turns 
into a white pupa, which sleeps for a short 
time and is then transformed into a black beetle. 
The beetle lays eggs that hatch into meal worms. 
From Eastern India comes Badis badis, with If the receptacle is not kept covered, the 
stripes of yellow on a brown and blue body, beetles will fly away. 
long dorsal fins and trans- 
Fishes with Transparent Tails 
Bapis Bapis 
parent tail. The ventral pro- 
tile of the male is concave, y 
of the female convex. Badis 
badis will lay its eggs in a 
flower pot, the male protect- 
ing them till they hatch, in 
about three days, fanning 
them with much devotion and 
concern. But when the 
young begin to move about. 
it is well to remove both par- 
ents, for. fish-like, they have Se 
but a fickle fondness for 
their offspring. Live food, 
meat and fish are the foods : << 
: ; 
preferred. © ong 
ak 
= a 
PoLyceNTRUS SCHOMBURGKI eee 
a 
‘ sort* 
Some species of Polycen- 
trus are found in West Af- BADIS BADIS 
rica, but this species comes Photograph by Dr. E. Bade. 
