ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1293 



C. H. T. photo 



A LARGE SPONGE FROM CUBA 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 



Haxck.sbill Turtle. — A tortoise-shell or hawks- 

 hill turtle has been presented to the Aquarium 

 by Mr. Eniil Gottsleben of Nassau, Bahama 

 Islands. 



The sjjccimen is of medium size with the to)) 

 shell fifteen inches Ion"' and weighs fourteen 

 pounds. This is the third hawksbill presented 

 bv Mr. Gottsleben. The species is quite valu- 

 able, furnishing the tortise-shell of commerce. 



I'lic Xiir.ie Shark. — A young specimen of the 

 Florida nurse shark, nearly four feet long, re- 

 ceived in October, 1913, is still living in the 

 Aquarium and has grown appreciably since that 

 date. A large-sized adult which was brought 

 to the Aquarium, lived only a few days. This 

 is usually the fate of large specimens. 



This species, notwithstanding its large size 

 — sometimes ten feet in length, is entirely harm- 

 less to man. Its mouth is quite small and 

 ada])ted only to gathering from the bottom the 

 crustaceans on which it feeds. 



.■1 Tame Penguin. — It is not proposed to turn 

 the Aquarium into an aviary, but when as inter- 

 esting a sea bird as the penguin comes along, it 

 is welcome to all the salt water diving space 

 and sea food it wants. 



The jjenguin, presented by ^Ir. W. O. Swat- 

 ridge of Brooklyn, has proved a most attractive 

 exhibit. Mr. Swatridge obtained it on the 

 coast of Chili, and presented it to the Aquarium 

 on .July 12. It adapted itself to the new situa- 

 tion at once and gives every indication of en- 



joying life, swimming actively and feeding 

 freely every day. A small raft in the sturgeon 

 jjool serves as a diving board and resting place 

 in the daytime. At night it is sent to an open- 

 topped pen on the gravel roof, where many 

 hours in the fresh air should be beneficial after 

 the long day indoors. 



Our penguin is a sociable little fellow. He 

 likes to have his head rubbed, and would rather 

 take pieces of fresh fish from the hand than 

 i>unt for live minnows in the water. He sub- 

 mits cheerfully to being carried or handled, and 

 waddles rapidly after his keeper whenever 

 called, even following him upstairs. In stair 

 climbing each step is taken at a jump. 



This penguin is in immature plumage. For 

 want of convenient literature it has not been 

 identified with certainty. It is not that most 

 northerly of penguins Spheiu.icu.i meiidiculus of 

 the Galapagos Islands nor S. magellanicus of 

 the Straits of Magellan, with both of which the 

 writer has had personal experience, but is prob- 

 ably Spheiiisciis humhoJdii of western South 

 America. 



When in the water the bird does very little 

 diving as compared with swimming on the sur- 

 face. In swimming it depends entirely upon 

 its wings, the feet being extended backward 

 with the soles at the surface of the water. 

 Even in diving the feet are scarcely used except 

 in turning. 



When perched upon its raft, preening its 

 feathers, the penguin takes many strange and 

 even remarkable attitudes which might be bet- 

 ter described as contortions. 



In the matter of food, the bird sticks to the 

 original diet of fresh fish cut in slices and 

 scorns all mollusks, crustaceans and sea-weed. 

 Its weight on October 4 was eight pounds. 



A Huge Sponge. — Hon. Henry Brenneis, 

 LTnited States Consul at Cardenas, Cuba, has 

 sent to the Aquarium the large sheepswool 

 sponge shown in the accompanying photograph. 

 It is nearly round and is twenty inches in 

 diameter. 



The si)onge fishery of southern Florida has 

 long been important, but there are also extensive 

 sponge industries in Cuba, the Bahamas, Hayti, 

 Colombia, and some parts of the Mexican and 

 Central American coasts. The annual yield of 

 s])onges from American waters is valued at about 

 .$'1,. 500,000. The United States Bureau of Fi.sh- 

 eries has made great progress in the propaga- 

 tion of sponges by cuttings. 



