98 



Aquatic Hitt 



deep orange within ; pectorals pale yel- 

 lowish ; anals and ventrals deeper yellow- 

 ish ; the young have more yellow on the 

 fins and less on the body, with traces of 

 a dark caudal spot." 



Yellow grunts, many of which I have 

 caught in the harbor of Key West, Flor- 

 ida, as well as in the Bahamas, run about 

 ten or eleven inches in length, and are 

 readily taken with hook and line, baiting 

 with conch. Specimens up to 18 or 20 

 inches have been caught, and the one 

 here figured came from the New York 



Aquarium. 



♦■ 



Tumor in a Brook Trout 



HAROLD L. BABCOCK, M. D. 



About one year ago an adult brook 

 trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), weighing 

 2^4 pounds, which had been in the 

 Marine Park Aquarium at Boston for 

 three years, developed a tumor on the 

 left side in the region of the lateral line 

 two inches posterior to the opercle. It 

 steadily increased in size and the fish 

 was finally removed from the exhibition 

 tank. While the growth seemed in no 

 way to inconvenience the trout, its ap- 

 pearance as an exhibition specimen was 

 ruined, and it was decided to operate in 

 the hope of determining the nature of 

 the disease. With the assistance of the 

 Aquarium Director, Mr. W. H. Chute, 

 the fish was taken from the tank and 

 held fast to a board by burlap drawn 

 tightly across its body and tacked down 

 above and below. A window was then 

 cut in the burlap over the tumor. The 

 board was field so that the fish's head 

 was under water. The growth was 

 smooth, soft and fluctuating, about the 

 size of an English walnut. Upon dis- 

 section it was found to be a hydrocyle 

 directly under the skin, filled with a thin 

 straw-colored fluid. 



The fish was returned to the tank', but 

 died at the end of twelve hours. It 



seemed unable to maintain its normal 

 position. This may have been due to a 

 disturbance in the organ of equilibrium 

 which is associated with the sense or- 

 gans of the lateral line, and which may 

 have been injured in operating, or to an 

 injury to the swimming bladder during 

 the struggle in preparing the fish for 

 operation. Microscopic examination of 

 the tissue by the State Biologist, Dr. D. 

 L. Belding, showed nothing of an infec- 

 tious or malignant nature. It probably 

 originated as the result of an injury. 



British Aquarium Society 



The monthly meeting of the British 

 Aquarium Society took place on Friday, 

 September 10, at 7.30 P. M., at 4, Fetter- 

 lane, when the chair was taken by the 

 president, Mr. W. T. Webster. There 

 was a large attendance, which was very 

 remarkable, considering so many of the 

 members are on holiday bent. There 

 were many specimens of aquatic life, 

 both plant and animal. Mr. Webster 

 showed two very fine specimens from his 

 famous collections of axolotl which ex- 

 cited great admiration. Mr. Lawson, 

 the secretary, had a fine plant of Poto- 

 mergeton natans. Mr. Horn, the cura- 

 tor of Bethnel Green Museum, also 

 brought plants which were undoubtedly 

 grown under favorable circumstances, 

 and many other members had exhibits — 

 namely, the cyclops, etc. The great fea- 

 ture of the evening was a lecture by the 

 chairman on the Mollusca, dealing prin- 

 cipally with Planorbis corneus — its 

 breeding and general habits, which was 

 most interesting and instructive, and 

 much appreciated. After the lecture there 

 was a very animated discussion on a 

 point that the chairman could not decide 

 from observation, namely, has the P. 

 corneus the power to make good any mis- 

 fortune that may happen to the shell ? 

 The meeting closed with a hearty vote 

 of thanks to the popular chairman. 



