88 Aquatic Lite 
love becomes paramount, the eggs will 
be deposited on a stone, to which they 
will adhere. During incubation one par- 
ent or the other stands guard, fanning 
constantly with the fins to create a cir- 
culation of the water and prevent any 
possible accumulation of sediment.  In- 
fertile eggs, or those that give evidence 
of a lack of normal development, are 
weeded out; sometimes all will be thus 
destroyed. We have had a well disposed 
pair, after successfully rearing several 
broods, devour the next one. Perhaps 
the babies were weaklings. 
During the first three or four days the 
fry are unable to swim, so the parents 
fashion hollows in the sand, to which the 
babies are moved. Here they are guard- 
ed, that no harm befall them, one parent 
alternating with the other. When they 
are able to swim freely the male should 
be removed, though the female may re- 
main with them from one to four weeks. 
The latter is not, however, necessary to 
their development, so she, too, may be 
placed elsewhere. 
This species seems very susceptible to 
Ichthyopthirius, the infusorian parasite. 
An entire brood may succumb to its rav- 
ages in a short time. It is well to be on 
the lookout, and check it the moment it 
is noticed. 
In breeding, provision must be made 
for infusoria, with Daphne to follow. 
Older fish will take prepared foods, but 
as the species in carnivorous, live mate- 
rial should dominate its bill-of-fare. <A 
water temperature of 70 degrees will be 
suitable, except during breeding periods, 
when it should be five to ten degrees 
higher. 
pee het 
He is a wise man who never has a 
great head on the shoulders the next 
morning. 
The Sumatra Gourami 
C. J. HEEDE 
This labyrinth fish is the rarest in the 
list of aquarium fishes, because it has 
been the good fortune of but one aquar- 
ian to possess it. Some years ago a fish 
fancier collected a number in Sumatra, 
while on a business trip. These did not 
long survive the journey, and apparently 
none have been collected since. 
The species is described as having a 
reddish brown body, crossed vertically by 
Osphromenus malayanus 
several white streaks, the anal and caudal 
fins being prettily colored. When young 
were observed they were quite large and 
closely resembled the parents, which led 
the owner to conjecture that the species 
was a mouth-breeder, or perhaps live- 
bearing, the latter being rather unlikely. 
The largest adults were three inches long. 
This article is in the way of a sugges- 
tion to the aquarians of California, who 
should be in a position to make frequent 
importations from the East Indies. 
(Osphromenus, far-fetched, 
but apparently in allusion to the possibil- 
ity of the long rays of the pectorals being 
used as feelers or sense organs; malay- 
smeller, 
anus, pertaining to Malay, whence comes 
the species. ) 
