72 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



ing and will probably have it in operation 

 earl_v in January. In this work the co-opera- 

 tion of the National Fish Commission has 

 been promised, and it is expected that the 

 eggs of our more important food fishes can 

 be seen in process of development during 

 about eight months of the year. Two prac- 

 tical fish-culturists from the government 

 service have been added to the Aquarium 

 force, and will give more or less instruction 

 on fish propagation to those who may be in- 

 terested in this modern science that has al- 

 ready been of vast benefit to our national 

 fishery resources. Fish eggs will be available 

 to students for embryological study and the 

 general public will undoubtedly be interested 

 in the process of raising fishes from eggs. 



A system of elaborate transparent labels is 

 being installed, and the number of small bal- 

 anced aquaria in the laboratory will be in- 

 creased at once for the benefit of students in 

 elementary natural history. 



The building has been examined by archi- 

 tects with a view to remedying, as soon as 

 possible, its defects in lighting and ventila- 

 tion, and a plan for beautifying the general 

 interior of the building is being worked out. 



The Director proposes lining most of the 

 exhibition tanks with natural rock-work, and 

 supplying them with marine and fresh-water 

 plants, so that the fishes and invertebrates 

 generally may be viewed with natural back- 

 grounds. Such accessories give the aquarium 



at Naples and other aquariums in Europe a 

 charm which the New Vork Aquarium lacks. 



A working library on marine and fresh-wa- 

 ter life generally will be provided at once for 

 the use of students, and a photographic-room 

 is being constructed for the purpose of mak- 

 ing good pictures of aquatic animals. 



The Diiector announces that a competent 

 aquarist will be detailed to establish small 

 fresh- and salt-water balanced aquaria in such 

 public schools as will provide their class- 

 rooms with aquarium jars for that purpose. 



The Director will soon begin the prepara- 

 tion of a guide-book which, it is expected, will 

 be not only a catalogue of the collections in 

 the Aquarium, but a useful book on aquatic 

 nature study. 



The Aquarium will continue to be open 

 every day in the year, including Sundays and 

 holidays from lo A.M. to 4 I'.jr., except on the 

 forenoons of Monday and Thursday. When 

 a national holiday falls upon either of these 

 days, the doors will be opened to the public 

 generally. 



Now that the management of the Aquarium 

 is among the functions of the Zoological 

 Society, it is hoped that its membership will 

 be increased, and therewith its strength for 

 what it represents in civic usefulness. Appli- 

 cation for membership may be made at the 

 ofifice of the Aquarium, at the Zoological Park, 

 or at the offices of the Society, 1 1 AVall Street, 

 New York. 



MAIN HAI.I, Xh.W YORK Al>UARIU-M. 



