34 



Aquatic JLite 



istic of the species — its remarkable 

 method of reproduction, and from which 

 it derives the name of Splashing Salmlet. 

 Spawning time having arrived in the 

 aquarium, the male and female, swim- 

 ming close together, spring out of the 

 water and adhere to the cover-glass or to 

 the side of the tank. Here they stick for 

 as long a period as ten seconds, during 

 which about a dozen eggs are deposited 

 and fertilized, which remain on the glass 

 covered with a drop of water. The 

 operation is repeated ten or twelve times, 

 and after an hour or so about a hundred 

 eggs will have been extruded. A second 

 spawning may occur within a week, but 

 should be discouraged, as it has a weak- 

 ening effect on the fish. 



The male watches the eggs and 

 splashes them with water at intervals of 

 twenty minutes to half an hour, thus 

 keeping them moist. They hatch in 

 thirty-six to forty-eight hours, provided 

 a temperature of about 77 degrees. 

 Fahrenheit, has been maintained during 

 incubation. The young hang like coma 

 marks in the drop of water in which 

 they have hatched, and are soon washed 

 down into the aquarium water by the 

 splashing of the male, whereupon they 

 take refuge among the floating plants. 

 Here they feed upon infusoria, of which 

 they must have an abundance, and later 

 they will devour small Daphne and 

 Cyclops. 



The proper temperature for adult fish, 

 other than during the breeding period, 

 ranges from 65 degrees to 75 degrees, 

 Fahrenheit. An average temperature of 

 75 degrees, which experiencd aquarists 

 favor for most tropical fishes, is about 

 the best to keep them in good condition. 

 Regarding food, Pyrrhulina is carnivor- 

 ous, and particularly fond of Daphne, 

 which should be liberally supplied. Its 

 home should be a sunny, three-gallon, 

 thickly planted and balanced aquarium. 



The Salmlet is a native of South 

 America, and has been recorded from 

 Brazil, Surinam, Guiana and the islands 

 off the northeast coast. 



Flying Frogs of Java 



So many strange stories have been told 

 of the flying frogs of Java that the curi- 

 ous animals have come to be regarded as 

 mythical. However, according to a re- 

 port of Professor Siedlecki, quoted in 

 the Journal des Voyages, these little crea- 

 tures do exist in actual life. 



Professor Siedlecki, who has spent 

 some time at the zoological laboratory at 

 Buitenzorg, Java, has been able to study 

 the flying frogs closely. One of the first 

 conclusions that he reaches is that the 

 name "flying frogs'' is inaccurate ; for 

 the supposed flight, from which the pop- 

 ular name is derived, is really nothing 

 more than a tremendous leap. "Jump- 

 ing frog" would describe the animal much 

 more accurately. 



The frog has membranes stretched be- 

 tween its fingers and toes. As it jumps, 

 it stretches wide its webs, and with the 

 aid of these parachute-like supports, 

 glides gently to earth again. It is no 

 rare thing for one of these little animals 

 to jump a distance of over six feet. It 

 can readily be imagined how a succession 

 of these gliding leaps creates the impres- 

 sion of sustained flight. The deception 

 is even greater when the frog is jumping 

 from branch to branch or from tree to 

 tree. 



Essentially an animal of nocturnal 

 habits, the flying frog spends its days 

 clinging to the leaves of trees. During 

 this time it is torpid and flabby, and 

 breathes with remarkable slowness. Its 

 bluish-green color, blending almost per- 

 fectly with the leaves on which it rests, 

 serves as an effective protection against 

 enemies. The flying frog is a striking 

 Concluded on Page 41 



