12 



Aquatic ILitt 



carrying 50 pounds pressure, will run the 

 filter during 24 hours, according to the 

 rate of flow desired. A reducing valve 

 on the air tank furnished a constant pres- 

 sure of about two pounds for the filter 



nozzle. 



■*- 



Heede on Fish Foods 



Many of the prepared fish foods now 

 on the market I have found to be as 

 good, if not better, than any imported 

 foods, but in feeding it must be taken 

 into consideration that they are very rich 

 and concentrated, and that they must be 

 used sparingly. If many large snails are 

 kept with the fishes it will be necessary 

 to allow them some food. 



The natural foods, Daphnia, Cyclops, 

 Cypris, Polyphemus and worms are, of 

 course, the best, but aside from these, 

 fish eggs, raw or boiled, finely scraped 

 fish flesh of either salt or fresh water 

 species, oysters, clams, shrimp or lobster 

 meat, smoked fish such as herring, white- 

 fish or salmon, can be used with more 

 or less success. After these come warm- 

 blooded animal foods such as beef, veal, 

 lamb or game of any sort, used raw or 

 boiled, but in all cases scraped, or dried 

 and powdered. A good food for fry or 

 small fish that have passed the yolk-sac 

 stage is the yolk of a very hard-boiled 

 egg, fed in a fluid or powdered state. 



When fishes are fed with meat care 

 must be exercised to have it cut or scrap- 

 ed into minute particles, otherwise fish 

 too eager for it may attempt to swallow 

 pieces too large and choke to death. — 



C. J. Heede. 



J ♦ 



It is said that at least 57 brands of 

 prepared foods are on the market. If 

 you are undecided which is best buy all 

 and mix. Variety is the spice of life. 



It takes a lot of pluck to pluck the 

 beam from thine own eye. 



Breeding Habits 

 of the American Mud Minnow 



The earliest investigations of the 

 breeding habits of Umbra seem to be 

 those of Carbonnier, who studied the 

 Austrian Umbra krameri, publishing re- 

 sults in the Bulletin de la Societe d'Ac- 

 climatation (Paris, 1874). Later, in the 

 United States, Dr. Ryder made observa- 

 tions of one of the two American species. 

 He found that their adhesive eggs were 

 laid singly upon the leaves of aquatic 



Mud Minnow Umbra pygmaea 



Photograph by Charles M. Breder, Jr. 



plants and hatched on the sixth day. 



It has been discovered that some spe- 

 cies of fishes, if removed from their 

 habitat just before or during the early 

 stages of a spawning operation, will con- 

 tinue if placed in a suitable aquarium. 

 Last April, while collecting local fishes, 

 Mr. William L. Paullin discovered Um- 

 bra pygmaea apparently spawning in a 

 bed of Algae. A pair was soon in his 

 can. 



A medium-sized aquarium, containing 

 - rather dense growth of filamentous 

 Algae, was selected. The fish at once 

 proceeded to form a hollow in the mass, 

 the opening being from the side. Soon 

 the eggs were deposited in the hole and 

 the entrance closed. The female then 

 drove off the male and thereafter guard- 



