aquatic JLitt 



35 



North Carolina Notes 



S. D. CARLTON 



I fully agree with the article on Fun- 

 didus nottii (January number). They 

 are very pretty, hardy, eat dry foods 

 readily, and should have a place in every 

 collection. 



The Black-banded Sunfish is the 

 daintiest aquarium fish of America. The 

 opinion has been held in the past that 

 they would starve rather than eat dry 

 foods, and that therefore to keep them 

 in aquaria it was necessary to provide 

 such living foods as Daphne and mos- 

 quito larvae. This is in direct opposition 

 to my experience, as they take dry foods 

 with avidity. 



Next in point of beauty comes Bnnea- 

 canthus gloriosus. This is a very active 

 species, and while not so hardy as the 

 others it will thrive on ordinary food. 



The hardiest of all is Centrarchus 

 macropterus. These are yellowish-green, 

 looking like burnished brass as they glide 

 through the water. There is a charac- 

 teristic black spot, surrounded by an 

 orange ring, on the soft dorsal. It takes 

 dry food readily and soon becomes tame 

 enough to snap at a finger. 



The Pirate Perch, Aphredoderus say- 

 anus, seem to be night prowlers and are 

 always in hiding. I have never seen them 

 eat, but have missed several small min- 

 nows ! However, I like them. The gen- 

 eral color is rich warm brown, with 

 purple reflections. 



When I move to a new locality, my 

 first stunt is to make a tank, and then 

 "go fishing." Hence the present twenty- 

 gallon aquarium, with its native plants 

 and the fishes mentioned ; all collected 

 near Camp Bragg. 



The Aviary and Aquarium 



The photograph on the opposite page 

 shows a happy combination of aquarium 

 and aviary designed and constructed by 



Mr. Parker A. Stacy. The woodwork 

 is mahogany, measuring seven feet from 

 peak to floor. The aquarium has a cast 

 iron base, with steel corners and top 

 frame, and holds twenty-five gallons. All 

 metal work, the bars of the aviary and 

 the frame of the aquarium, is finished 

 in gilt; an excellent contrast with the 

 dark mahogany. 



The Chelonians 



(Continued from page 28) 

 head back into the shell so as to be almost 

 entirely out of sight. 



Its feet bespeak its thoroughly aquatic 

 habits, for they are like four rounded 

 paddles, and capable of rendering a max- 

 imum service in swimming. Indeed, our 

 soft-shelled turtles are the most aquatic 

 of all the members of the chelpnian 

 group of fresh-water species in the 

 United States. They rarely leave the 

 water; and if they are forced to crawl 

 over any rough or rocky place, they are 

 sure to scratch or even lacerate the soft, 

 smooth and tender skin-covering to the 

 outer surface of the plastron. 



The young are very beautiful little 

 creatures, and have a great habit of ex- 

 tending their necks when investigating 

 anything. Sometimes one of them will 

 shoot like lightning to the bottom of the 

 aquarium, shuffle under the sand or vege- 

 tation, and in a few moments you will 

 see it protrude its long little black and 

 whitish neck to the limit, which gives 

 the animal a most ludicrous appearance. 



The Southern soft-shelled turtle may 

 come to weigh as much as 30 pounds, 

 and possess a carapace of nearly 20 

 inches in length, with a corresponding 

 width of nearly 16 inches. 



All of the species are eaten in the parts 

 where they occur, and one may often see 

 them in the markets for sale. The young 

 of all of them are prettily marked and 

 colored. 



