58 



Aquatic %itt 



law, but even then he must retain the 

 oldest specific name. Not all splits and 

 transfers, however, can be termed radical 

 and assigned as the work of those who 

 cannot let well enough alone. 



Going back over a period of a cen- 

 tury we may find many divergent species 

 placed at one time or another in a single 

 genus that are obviously not sufficiently 

 related to be so intimately associated. 

 The genus Poecilia may be cited as an 

 example. It was described in 1801 by 

 Bloch and Schneider for the species 

 vivipara, which we thus know as the 

 "type" of the genus. Others described 

 fishes and placed them here. Then at var- 

 ious times more careful study, made pos- 

 sible perhaps by additional specimens, 

 depleted the genus and today it is com- 

 paratively small. Poecilia olivacea we 

 now know as "Fundulus notatus; Poe- 

 cilia sphenops is Mollienisia sphenops; 

 Poecilia catenata is Fundulus catenatus, 

 and so on. The rambling of a species 

 from one position to another is just as 

 exasperating to the systematist as to the 

 aquarist, perhaps more so, but so long as 

 species are described and assigned to 

 genera wherein their status is question- 

 able, whatever the opinion of their spon- 

 sors, just so long will there be others to 

 switch them elsewhere. It will ever be 

 thus. I believe it was Professor Cope 

 who rightly transferred Storer's catenata 

 from Poecilia to Fundulus, but it 

 wouldn't surprise me if someone restor- 

 ed Jordan's Xenisma for it and stellifer. 



Leaving nomenclature and its tangles, 

 why haven't aquarists acquired the stud 

 fishes? Both should be highly desirable. 

 Eight or nine years ago the enterprising 

 Germans had Fundulus catenatus, but 

 apparently did nothing with it. It's a 

 handsome fellow. The male is greenish 

 or bluish, with an orange spot on each 

 scale forming somewhat chain-like lines ; 

 hence the name, catenatus, meaning 



chained. The female is not quite as at- 

 tractive, the spots being brown instead of 

 orange. It is found in the Tennessee and 

 Cumberland rivers, and in streams in the 

 Ozarks. 



Even more desirable is the smaller F. 

 stellifer. This is a brilliant species. The 

 body is blue above and silvery below, the 

 male having orange spots irregularly dis- 

 tributed over the body. On the female 

 the spots are olive-brown and smaller. 

 This species comes from Georgia. 



Do you remember the slogan of a few 

 years ago : "See America First ?" Why 

 not, then, "Study American Fishes 

 First?" 



The Microscopical Society 



During the past winter a group of 

 microscopists have met at intervals for 

 the discussion of matters of interest, es- 

 pecially with regard to technique. Talks 

 have been given on the principles of mi- 

 croscopy (Frank J. Keeley) ; methods of 

 illumination, demonstrated with twenty- 

 five microscopes and objects mounted in 

 various media (Mr. Keeley) ; photomi- 

 crography (Dr. Thomas S. Stewart) ; 

 mounting methods, with demonstration 

 of slide microtome (Dr. Stewart) ; cell 

 making and mounting objects dry (W. 

 A. Poyser). 



The group has now formally organiz- 

 ed as The Philadelphia Microscopical So- 

 ciety. Meetings will be held, except dur- 

 ing July and August, on the fourth 

 Thursday of the month, at 8 P. M., in 

 laboratory of the Wagner Institute of 

 Science, Seventeenth and Montgomery 

 avenue. The meetings are open to the 

 public. Microscopists desiring to become 

 members may obtain further information 

 by addressing the secretary, W. A. Poy- 

 ser, 207 South Thirty-seventh street. 

 The necessary qualification is an interest 

 in microscopy ; the dues are purely nomi- 



