•aquatic JLitt 



55 



of the most beautiful fishes I have seen. 



A live-bearing species was taken that I 

 first thought was Gambusia holbrooki, 

 but the anal fin was entirely different. 



In an entirely different class is a fish 

 called the rainbow minnow by the na- 

 tives. It was present in thousands. Evi- 

 dently it is very tender, as it invariably 

 died before I could carry it half a mile. 

 The fish is very slender, and reaches a 

 length of four inches ; all the colors of 

 the rainbow, with a metallic lustre. Found 

 in running water, and is fond of skip- 

 ping along the surface. 



Mollienisia latipinna is found by the 

 million all over the State in fresh, 

 brackish and salt water. I caught one 

 covered with chrome green spots, but did 

 not succeed in getting it home alive. 



I saw many beautiful sunfishes, some 

 bottle-green, covered with gold spots ; 

 others brown and gold. None were 

 found more than three inches long, hence 

 would be very desirable for the aqua- 

 rium. 



Plant life of the sorts used in the aqua- 

 rium was plentiful. Beautiful Ludzvigia 

 could be obtained in the running streams. 

 Acres of ponds are covered by Asolla 

 carolinlana, some bright green and others 

 rusty brown. Entire ponds are covered 

 with Cabomba in flower. Frog-bit is 

 plentiful about Jacksonville. Then there 

 was water lettuce and duckweed, and 

 salvinia and water hyacinth were all over 

 the state. 



(Identifying fishes by mere color de- 

 scriptions is hazardous. The one de- 

 scribed as resembling Fundulus chryso- 

 tus seems to be that species. Specimens 

 so called by aquarists have at times been 

 F. cingulatus. The remaining fishes may 

 be Jordanella floridae, Heterandria for- 

 mosa and Labidesthes sicculus. If the 

 last named is correct, then Mr. Carlton's 

 attention is directed to Wolf Lake, Indi- 



ana, where it is abundant. Specimens 

 collected there did well in a cool aqua- 

 rium. — Ed.) 



♦ 



Society News 



A fine blue calico telescope entered by 

 Mr. Michael J. Moylan carried off the 

 silver cup at the November meeting of 

 the West Philadelphia Goldfish Fanciers' 

 Association. The specimen scored 82 

 points. Ribbons were awarded to fishes 

 shown by Messrs. Weinreich, Bell, Moy- 

 lan and Armbruster. The entries were 

 judged by Messrs. Pfeffer, Scheibel and 

 Bailsman. 



At the November meeting of The 

 Aquarium Society, Philadelphia, Mr. 

 Henry W. Fowler, of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, gave an interesting 

 talk on the anatomy of the fish, laying 

 emphasis on the characters used in the 

 identification of species. In his demon- 

 stration Mr. Fowler used fresh speci- 

 mens of the Glut Herring (Pomolobus 

 cyanonoton) and Yellow Perch (Perca 

 flavescens) . It was interesting to be told 

 that the black peritoneum — the mem- 

 brane lining the abdominal cavity — of the 

 Glut Herring distinguishes it at once, 

 regardless of other characters, from its 

 two very similar local relatives, P. medi- 

 ocris and P. pseudoharengiis. In the lat- 

 ter the membrane is pale. The writer is 

 sure Mr. Fowler greatly appreciated the 

 assistance of Mr. Innes, who provided an 

 old hand towel and a pair of rusty scis- 

 sors, which the lecturer had forgotten to 

 include in his dissecting kit. 



As an aftermath, Dr. Van Deusen, of 

 the Philadelphia Public Aquarium, enter- 

 tained with a glowing description of the 

 delights of fly fishing for black bass — 

 way down Jersey, not at the Aquarium. 

 Several members have since been ob- 

 served varnishing rods, oiling ancient 

 reels, inquiring as to the cost of flies, etc. 



