70 " TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISOENOES. 



As seen on the photos, the ears 

 are very broad and rounded — 

 thereby affording lots of space for 

 the soundyraves to gather in the 

 center of the main hoUow and 



gradually funnelshaped ear cav- 

 ity, from whence the sounds are 

 transmitted to the eardrums' and 

 the hearing centers of the braiu. 



The Texas Minnow as Mosquito Destroyer 



It is not generally known that 

 the minutest of our fish species — 

 the ■ ' minnow ' ' — feeds on the eggs 

 and larvae (wrigglers) of the mos- 

 quito insect, and thereby becomes 

 a factor in the prevention of ma- 

 laria. 



In England, observations have 

 been made by some naturalists 

 and attention called to the fact, 

 that in the Island of Barbados, 

 "West India, a very small fish spe- 

 cie exiists, which on account of 

 their • immense numbers, are 



Full Grown Texas Minnows; also You'vo 

 (Natural Size) 



termed "Millions." "This fish," 

 the report reads, "ought to be 

 well protected as it is destined to 

 become one of the greatest bles- 

 sings to humanity — provided its 

 good "ualities are based on sound 

 facts." At any rate, on the Island 

 of Barbados, the inhabitants arc 

 fully convinced that it is due en- 

 tirely to this fish that so few cases 

 of malaria exist there, while the 

 malaria pest exists at other places 

 of that island to an alarming ex- 



tent. "And it can easily be im- 

 agined, on account of the immense 

 numbers of the 'Million' fish 

 found in the sweet water rivulets; 

 there, that the larval mosciuitoes 

 (from whence the malarial infec- 

 tion afterwards takes place, by in- 

 oculation) are destroyed by those 

 fish. They show a ravenous appe- 

 tite, and this is considered espec- 

 ially characteristic in their favor 

 as a destroyer of the larval mos- 

 quito. ' ' 



To the writer, and many 

 American scientists well acquaint- 

 ed with the habits of our native 

 "minnow" the above is nothing 

 particularly new, as far as onr 

 own smallest fish is concerned, but 

 it is a matter well worth while to 

 be looked into closer, and a few 

 original data regarding our Texas 

 minnow fish will undoubtedly in- 

 terest the readers; 



The above "million fish" is df 

 scribed as a very small creature 

 of bluish color, with black dots 

 around its tailbody. This wouW 

 about tally with a larger species 

 of our minnow encountered occa- 

 sionally in the Texas rivulets. But 

 the million fish of the waters of 

 Texas is decidedly less numerous 

 than the smaller species— the com- 

 mon minnow of our rivers, creeks 

 and tanks. 



In these pages can be seen de- 

 picted the exact natural size and 

 appearance of two full grown Tex- 

 as minnows, with a number of 

 your- fish from several days to a 

 week or more old. Also, a photo- 

 microi'ranh is reproduced (from 

 original collection of microscopic 

 specimens) of a number of embry- 



