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ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 
YOUNG THREAD-FISH. 
From a lead-pencil drawing by Chas. R. Knight. 
long as the fish itself, but the statement was a 
very modest one. ‘They may be as much as five 
times as long as the fish, as is shown by the ac- 
companying drawing. ‘The specimen here fig- 
ured was taken at the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries 
Station at Woods Hole, during the past summer 
and was accurately drawn by Mr. Charles R. 
Knight, well known as a zoological artist. Mr. 
Knight reports that the filaments in this speci- 
men were longer than in any other specimen ever 
taken at Woods Hole. A specimen with highly 
developed filaments was brought into the Aquar- 
ium for identification during the present 
summer. 
The thread-fish is distributed around the 
world in tropical waters and reaches a length of 
three feet. The young ones find their way 
along our shores as far as Cape Cod in the 
summer time, probably carried by the Gulf 
Stream, but the approach of cold weather kills 
them all, as they can not endure temperature 
much below 60 degrees. 
BERMUDA FISHES. 
METHODS EMPLOYED IN THEIR CAPTURE AND 
TRANSPORTATION FOR EXHIBITION. 
By L. L. Mowzray. 
Visitors to the Aquarium frequently inquire how 
our tropical fishes are collected and shipped. Mr. L. 
L. Mowbray, Curator in charge of the Bermuda 
Aquarium, has kindly furnished for the readers of 
the Burrevin the following account of the methods 
employed by him in this work. R. C. O. 
HE principal method of capturing bottom 
fish is by the fish-trap, which is placed in 
depths of from one to twelve fathoms of 
water. The trap is constructed of galvanized wire 
netting, fourteen to sixteen gauge, from one-half 
to two-inch mesh. It is about four feet six 
inches long, eighteen inches deep and three to 
four feet wide. The entrance is V-shaped, turn- 
ing down abruptly and forming a funnel. This 
is placed about nine inches from the bottom of 
the trap, or at half its depth. The reason for 
this arrangement is that the fish can swim freely 
under the entrance or funnel. 
On account of theft by poaching fishermen, 
the collecting traps are set without any buoys 
or markers of any sort, except that in the case 
vf the deep water ones a submerged buoy is 
attached to float some twelve or fifteen feet un- 
der water so that the line to the trap can be 
secured. The position of each trap is taken by 
means of bearings on points on shore taken with 
the sextant. In this way it is possible to locate 
the traps with perfect accuracy, even on the 
outer reef, nine miles from the nearest land. 
The exact position of a trap or its submerged 
buoy is easily noted by means of a water-glass 
when the locality is reached by the collecting 
boat. The very clear atmosphere and water 
make these methods available at Bermuda to an 
extent that would not be possible in many other 
regions. 
The trap is baited according to the kind of 
fish to be captured. For instance,—when set- 
ting for angel-fish, (Angelichthys), the bait 
used is mussel, lobster or any of the larger Crus- 
tacea, crushed and placed in the bottom of the 
trap. The sea-urchin is also excellent bait for 
this fish, but a great disadvantage in using the 
sea-urchin is the damage done to the eyes of 
the fish by coming in contact with the spines 
when flapping about in the trap. These same 
varieties of bait are also used for the butterfly- 
fish, (Chaetodon) and surgeon-fish, (Hepatus). 
The trap for these fish is placed in from one 
to four fathoms of water on the reefs. By plac- 
ing it in deeper water, six to eight fathoms, with 
the same kind of bait, and among the broken 
