218 TREUBIA VOL. II, 2—4. 
ing entirely different fish-products. To this Mr. Görs added afterwards 
(17 IV ’19) that in his opinion the rearing of bandeng without “algae” !) 
is a rather worthless proceeding, to be ventured- on perhaps by some 
Chinese but which he rejected. Also a native bandeng rearer from the 
neighbourhood of Marunda gave it as his opinion (22 IX ’20) that for the 
efficient rearing of bigger bandeng “algae”!) as food were essential. At 
Batavia I could often ascertain that bandeng fed on “tay-ayer” is disting- 
uished from the “algae”!)-fed bandeng by a sickly-sweetish earthy taste. 
I have already reported the communication made to me by the Chinese 
land-lord of Tjilintjing, to the effect that the Chaetomorpha-vegetation is 
not at its best as bandeng-food until it comes floating to the surface and 
grows old and yellow. Several bandeng rearers at Batavia told me the 
same thing. According to them the bandeng does indeed eat the young 
lumut kain (= Chaetomorpha) when it begins to develop at the pond- 
bottom, but they do not grow fat on it. When, however, the lumut kain 
has come to float at the surface and begun to discolour it is more valuable 
as bandeng food. To this I may add that the “algal”')-vegetation to be 
seen in photos 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14 and 15 (Plates VII, VIII, IX, XI, XIV, 
XV, XXII and XXIII) is at the stage when according to the bandeng-rearers 
referred to it is at its best as bandeng-food. The Chaetomorpha-threads 
are then “coated” and the entire vegetation is then overgrown (with 
Oscillatoria, Gloeocapsa etc.) as described in Chapter IV. Even the very 
old Chaetomorpha-vegetation which as stated in Chapter IV, sinks to the 
bottom when the West-monsoon begins to prevail is said by the Batavia 
bandeng-rearers to be eaten by the bandeng. In the same way the 
cut (land-) grass thrown into the ponds is said to be eaten by the bandeng 
after it has rotted more or less and sunk to the bottom. 
In connection with the foregoing the question arises whether it 
would not perhaps be still more correct, instead of calling the bandeng 
simply a vegetarian, to say that the bandeng feeds on nearly always 
vegetable, preferably more or less decayed organic matter. 
I will briefly quote what is stated in the scant literature on the Java 
marine fish-ponds concerning the food of the bandeng reared in the tambaks. 
VAN SPALL (°) on page 27, says: “These islets and likewise the little 
“walls are planted with shrubs bearing the names of api-api ?) and 
“tandjang *) and which flourish luxuriantly in sea-water”. 
“This is done designedly and that with the following objects in the 
“interest of the culture; first, for the sake of providing shade; secondly, 
“because the leaves shed by these shrubs rot and form a kind of 
“manure useful to the ponds; thirdly because numbers of marsh-birds 
1) cf, note page 209. 
2) According to Mr. C. A. BACKER, Botanist for the Java-flora, Avicennia marina 
VIERH. and/or Avicennia officinalis L.. 
3) According to Mr. C. A. BACKER Rhizophora conjugata L., Rhizophora mucronata 
LAMK. and/or Bruguiera gymnorrhiza LMK.. 
