aquatic Hits 



163 



will become apparent. A convenient 

 stone will be selected, and beneath it, 

 from end to end, a tunnel will be dug. 

 Here the eggs will soon be deposited. 

 When the young appear the parents 

 guard them and lead them about the 

 aquarium after the manner of the cich- 

 lids. A hasty approach, or any action 

 deemed hostile will cause the parents and 

 brood to hastily retreat into their cov- 

 ered trench, there to await the passing of 

 the danger, though in the meantime one 

 of the adults will appear at the opposite 

 opening, apparently ready and eager to 

 charge any possible foe. 



Mr. Robert J. Macrory, of the Pitts- 

 burgh Aquarium Society, is the only 

 aquarist, to the best of my knowledge, 

 who has succeeded in spawning this spe- 

 cies, and it was his pair that I observed 

 as described. Unfortunately none of the 

 young survived to maturity. The stone 

 under which the tunnel was dug meas- 

 ured fully five inches 1 in diameter. 



Smoked Dogfish 



Experiments in smoking various spe- 

 cies of fresh-water fish, begun at the 

 Fairport, Mich., station of the United 

 States Bureau of Fisheries about two 

 years ago, have yielded interesting re- 

 sults. 



The bowfin, or grindle, which usually 

 is regarded as practically worthless, has 

 been found to yield a very superior 

 product when properly smoked. All who 

 have eaten samples have spoken of the 

 excellent texture and flavor of the meat, 

 and some have pronounced it the best 

 of smoked fish. 



Further experiments are being made 

 with a view to obtaining a product 

 which will appeal to the trade in appear- 

 ance and quality. 



The bowfin is generally known 

 through the Mississippi Basin as dogfish. 



and has been regarded as practically 

 worthless. It is abundant in the Great 

 Lakes and in sluggish waters from Min- 

 nesota and New York to Florida and 

 Texas. 



The proper utilization of this species 

 will not only add another commercial 

 product to the market, but also will tend 

 to reduce the relative abundance of a 

 species which is most predacious upon 

 the other fishes that are more highly 

 valued in the fresh state. 



Pterophyllum scalare 



Paullin's Pterophyllum scalare have 

 spawned again ! This is not a startling 

 announcement because it has happened 

 a number of times, but very few aquar- 

 ians have been privileged to witness the 

 operation. It is doubtful if less excite- 

 ment attends the function in any other 

 species. Utterly oblivious to several 

 pairs of eyes "glued to the glass," the 

 pair proceeded. Other than the some- 

 what methodical movements of the fish, 

 little out of the ordinary would have been 

 apparent to the average man. A broad, 

 curved leaf of Sagittaria had been se- 



