62 Aquatic Lite 
Richard Donker, an experienced aquar- 
ist, that no sea horses born in captivity 
have been reared, I refuse to accept the 
fact as an ultimatum against trying. 
Some day I may be successful. The 
scene will be re-enacted in due time in 
my aquarium. On October second a 
great number of eggs were observed 
floating about. These were transparent 
and colorless, with the exception of a 
yellowish red spot at the top. Within 
two days they had disappeared, and 
have evidently been deposited in the 
brood-pouch of one of the males, for he 
is now developing a similar protuber- 
ance. 
(The sea-horses are singular creatures 
which depart greatly from the popular 
idea of the conventional fish; their head 
and neck bear a striking resemblance to 
a horse’s; the fish move through the 
water in an erect position; and when 
resting they usually curl their prehen- 
sile tail about a bit of seaweed or blade 
of grass. Additional interest attaches 
to these fishes, because the male fish re- 
ceives the eggs in a pouch and carries 
them until they are hatched, and the 
young occupy the pouch until they are 
of considerable size, going out in search 
of food and returning for shelter. * * 
Many species, none of large size, exist in 
warmer waters of all parts of the world. 
* * Dr. R. E. Coker reports that a large 
male taken August 18,1902, had a pouch 
full of young and delivered them in the 
laboratory aquarium August 20th. The 
opening in the pouch is at its anterior 
end, and is  slit-like when closed, but 
round when the young are about to be 
extruded. When liberating the young, 
the fish swam upright, and made a pecu- 
liar effort resembling peristalsis. The 
young emerged several at a time and 
were forced some distance from the par- 
ent. They swam in a cluster near the 
surface and on the side of the aquarium 
nearest the light—Fishes 
Carolina. 
In symbolic and heraldic art the 
“‘sea-horse” appears as a fabulous marine 
animal with fore parts like those of a 
horse joined to the tail of a fish. Nep- 
tune is depicted as using them to draw 
his chariot. In Biblical literature and 
early books generally, the term often re- 
fers uncertainly to the walrus or the 
hippopotamus. Hippocampus, the an- 
cient Greek name for the sfa-horse; 
hudsonius, Hudsonian, relating to the 
Hudson River.—Ep1ror. 
————— 
of North 
Water has many properties that fit it 
for being the abode of organic life. Sec- 
ond only in importance to its power of 
carrying dissolved food materials 1s its 
transparency. It admits the light of the 
sun, and the primary source of energy 
for all organic life is the radiant energy 
of the sun. Green plants use this energy 
directly; animals get it indirectly with 
their food. Green plants constitute the 
producing class of organisms in water 
as on land. Just in proportion as the 
sun’s rays are excluded, the process of 
plant assimilation (Photosynthesis) 1s 
impeded. When we wish to prevent the 
growth of algae or other green plants in 
a reservoir or in a spring we cover it to 
exclude the light. Thus we shut off the 
power.—Life of Inland Waters. 
———————— 
Keep in touch with the world, with all 
right activities, with fresh air and sun- 
shine, with good natured and contented 
human beings, and you will be a long 
time getting old. 
—~<.>—___—_ 
You may be interested in knowing 
that we recently received a request for 
a sample copy of Lorquimia from a man 
in Belfast, Ireland, who said he had seen 
our advertisement in Aquatic Life— 
Lorquin Natural History Club. 
