192 Fresh Water Aquarium 



skill and success to propel himself on dry 

 ground. Whenever the sun evaporates the 

 body of water in which the fish live, to such 

 an extent, that it is no longer sufficient to 

 offer them a safe home, they emigrate in 

 masses to other waters, or if these should 

 not be found in good time, they bury them- 

 selves in places sufficiently moist to keep 

 them alive, until a rain makes further prog- 

 ress possible. A special organ called the 

 labyrinth, enables the climbing perch to 

 breathe outside the water and to carry a 

 certain reserve supply of water for cases of 

 emergency. The old, and even now not al- 

 together forgotten belief, that this fish was 

 able to climb high trees, has long been ex- 

 ploded by the careful observation of reliable 

 scientists. 



The color of the Climbing Perch is not as 

 gaudy as that of many other fishes, but it 

 is sufficiently attractive to make it a desirable 

 acquisition for the aquarium. This fish is 

 brownish olive green on the back and light 



