20 



agnatic Hitt 



the outlet of which has been carefully 

 plugged. In it is placed an inch and one- 

 half layer of rich loam, then a light 

 sprinkling of dried sheep manure, cover- 

 ing this with a half-inch of earth con- 

 taining a fairly high percentage of clay. 

 Ripe or old aquarium water is then 

 added. The sink is filled liberally with 



/>/?/iows s//o»/ jy/Aecr/o/v or 



Daphnia pulex (greatly enlarged) 

 Original Drawing by Frank J. Myers 



any of the recognized aquarium plants. 

 Several heads of lettuce, sun-dried and 

 powdered, is sprinkled over the surface 

 of the water. Then, after a few days, 

 some Daphne is introduced and their 

 multiplication commences. From time to 

 time decayed plants such as will be re- 

 moved from aquaria should be thrown in. 

 Compared with goldfish, the tropical 

 fishes are rather small, and in conse- 

 quence consume less. Any of the fore- 



going plans should provide enough for 

 feeding tropicals, but only a tithe for a 

 goldfish. The average breeder of the 

 latter fish, if he has a fair number, will 

 consider a Daphne-collecting trip a fail- 

 ure unless he carries home a bulk equiva- 

 lent to a teacup filled solid. To propa- 

 gate enough to feed such a quantity daily 

 would require a pond exceeding in area 

 his home grounds. While this amount 

 seems large, it must be remembered that 

 the first rule of breeding is to keep the 

 young "filled," and, further, that a gold- 

 fish in early life is capable of consuming 

 daily a quantity of Daphne equal to its 

 own bulk. The Japs, to propagate 

 Daphne, will take a pond with an area of 

 150 yards or more. If the pool is over 

 ten years old, five bushels of rice bran, 

 soy lees or the excrement of man or 

 horse are spread upon the bottom after it 

 has been drained. This is exposed to 

 the sun's rays for about a week, and 

 then the water is replaced. If the pond 

 is less than two years old double the 

 quantity of fertilizer used. This metho:! 

 would seem to be quite malodorous, and 

 one to be avoided by the fancier who 

 lives, as most do, in close proximity to 

 fellow-men. In short, it would seem that 

 the breeder of goldfish will do well to 

 continue gathering Daphne in the ponds 

 of the city "dumps," leaving its propa- 

 gation to the tropical fish lover, whose de- 

 mands are more easily met. 



Natural objects are being threatened 

 with extinction in Italy, as elsewhere. A 

 league has been formed, therefore, for 

 the protection of the fauna and Ann of 

 the country, and of such geological and 

 geographical features as are of scientific 

 or esthetic interest. A zoologist, a botan- 

 ist, a geologist, a geographer and an 

 agriculturist are included on the execu- 

 tive council. 



