ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
WEST INDIAN SEAL. 
seal of the same species, formerly kept at the 
Aquarium) used to accomplish by blowing water 
from his mouth. 
THE SWELLFISH AND ITS INFLATING 
HABIT. 
HIS fish, (Spheroides maculatus), inhabit- 
ks our coast from Massachusetts to Florida, 
is often abundant in New York Bay in the 
summer time, and the tanks of the Aquarium 
usually contain specimens of both the adults and 
the young. It is the only species of its genus 
to be found outside of the tropics and is known 
by several names, the commonest of which are 
putter, swellfish and blower. 
All fishes of this family 
have the habit of rising to 
the surface when disturbed 
by their enemies and rapid- 
ly filling the stomach with 
air so that they float about 
on the water, belly upper- 
most. The fishes distend 
themselves to such an extent 
that they become almost 
globular in form. One lo- 
cal species of the puffer 
family (the common spiny 
boxfish) inflates itself until 
its fins and tail appear to be 
mere excrescences upon an 
animated globe. When in- 
flated and floating, these 
fishes are often driven 
ashore by the wind, where 
they die and slowly become 
dried inthe inflated condition. 
BULLETIN. 645 
The habit is without 
doubt a protective one. 
When hooked by the an- 
gler and drawn to the sur- 
face, they are sometimes 
found to be tightly ex - 
panded with water. The 
inflated condition can usu- 
ally be produced in Aquar- 
ium specimens by merely 
lifting them from the water 
with a dip net, the fishes 
continuing to suck the air 
until the stomach is dis- 
tended to its utmost capac- 
ity. The air is retained 
by a valve in the throat 
and is usually discharged 
instantly when the fish is 
returned to the tank. 
At rare intervals these fishes have been ob- 
served to inflate themselves with water while in 
their tanks at the Aquarium, without disturbance 
of any sort. It is quite possible that the habit 
of inflating with water under natural conditions 
is more common than is imagined. 
Pictures in this Butierin show the fish ex- 
panding itself with air while being held in the 
hand and doing the same with water while in an 
aquarium. The picture showing the fish ex- 
panded with water is especially interesting as it 
is so rarely seen among captive specimens. Cer- 
tain large species of puffers are inflated, dried 
and made into lanterns by the Japanese. 
SWELLFISH INFLATING UNDER WATER. 
