The Feeding of the Inmates 313 



nourishing substance. These can easily he 

 recognized by their brownish color, the air- 

 dried ant eggs being yellowish white. Gold 

 fish and their many varieties will readily feed 

 on such tender aquatic plants as the Water- 

 lentils (Lciima minor and Lcnina trisulca), 

 which form an excellent food for them and 

 should be used as long as the warm season 

 permits their collecting. 



ARTIFICIAL FISHFOOD. 



Where natural fishfood, such as has been 

 previously mentioned, cannot be obtained 

 under any conditions, we have to resort to 

 the artificial food. Numerous are the prep- 

 arations offered by dealers. While some 

 have a certain value, the merit of the ma- 

 jority of them lies in the immense profit 

 resulting from the selling of very cheap 

 material at a high price. The disadvantage 

 of these preparations is their solubility in 

 water. They dissolve almost as soon as 

 they touch the water, causing a cloudy and 



