62 



&quattc JLitt 



remark that "This handsome fish is 

 hardy and lives well in the aquarium, 

 where it can be kept together with other 

 fishes." So in view of conflicting opin- 

 ions it will be well, when next it comes 

 to us from India, to first experiment by 

 associating it with specimens we can best 

 afford to lose ! 



The fiddler is quite an attractively 

 marked catfish, differing much in this 

 respect from our native species which 

 can boast of little ornamentation. Dark 

 bands run lengthwise along each side of 

 the body, with intensity varying with the 

 individual. These alternate with golden 

 stripes, the central one showing a pearly 

 lustre. On the shoulder, just back of 

 the opercle, is a velvety black spot, often 

 quite pronounced. The fins are dusky 

 or grayish, with the tips somewhat dark. 

 If the barbels have a sensory function, 

 this fish is well provided, having eight, 

 the longest pair reaching the anal fin. 



Though Day's experience would seem 

 to indicate this fish as carnivorous, 

 others have found it to eat dry prepared 

 foods and such substances as are com- 

 monly given aquarium fishes of like size. 

 It reaches a length of eight inches. 



Appropriate Names 



Dr. Lucas says, "Time was, long ago, 

 to be sure, when the names of people 

 were descriptive ; but Black, White, 

 Strong, Smith and Carpenter have ceased 

 to mean anything," etc. 



I was therefore much interested, in 

 going through our aquarium library re- 

 cently, to find at least a dozen instances 

 where there seemed to be a correlation 

 between the name of a writer and the 

 subject of his interest. 



The names of some of the students of 

 aquatic life seem singularly appropriate. 

 Dr. Theodore Gill was one of the most 

 noted ichthyologists. Others who have 



added to the knowledge of fishes are M. 

 C. Marsh, William P. Seal, and Alvin 

 Seale, while W. H. Fry discourses on 

 "Practical Fish Breeding." Mr. R. H. 

 Pond has written about aquatic plants. 

 Dr. H. G. Barnacle describes shells, and 

 Captain Barnacle writes on whales. 

 Walter K. Fisher is interested in star- 

 fishes and sea birds. P. A. Fish studied 

 the walrus, and H. A. Smeltz made ob- 

 servations on the oysters. Mr. Pope and 

 Mr. Lord each contributed to the biology 

 of Devil's Lake (North Dakota.) — Ida 

 M. MeixEN, The Netv York Aquarium. 



South Australian Society 



On Saturday, February 28th, the 

 members of the South Australian Aquar- 

 ium Society visited the neighborhood of 

 Aldgate, under the leadership of Dr. 

 Robert Pulleine. The afternoon was de- 

 voted to collecting specimens for the ex- 

 hibit of the society at the All- Australian 

 Peace Exhibition. Dr. Pulleine conduct- 

 ed the party to a large pool, which was 

 found to contain a great variety of 

 aquatic life. Many of the so-called na- 

 tive trout (Galaxias olibus) were obtain- 

 ed, as well as a considerable number of 

 aquatic insects. Among the last-named 

 two kinds of "fish killers," Nepa and 

 Ranatra, were of particular interest. 

 These insects grasp their prey with the 

 strong forelegs, plunging the formidable 

 beak into the victim to suck the juices 

 from its body. 



The president, Mr. Edgar R. Waite, 

 F. L. S., recently recorded a curious fact 

 concerning the Mexican Axolotl. These 

 batrachians sometimes develop a disease 

 causing them to become bloated, infect- 

 ed individuals floating at the surface of 

 the water until death. Some of the frog 

 tadpoles in the pool were found to be 

 suffering from a similar condition in a 

 marked degree. — H. M. Hale, Honorary 

 Secretary. 



