ZOOLOGICAL 
and the 
The parrots, 
reefs the hog-fish (Lachnolaimus) 
porgy, (Calamus), are captured. 
(Scaridae), are occasionally taken by baiting 
the trap with mussel, but vegetable bait, such as 
cactus with the spines removed, banana, and cer- 
tain algae, is far preferable. The Serranidae 
and Lutianidae are captured most successfully 
with white-bait, (Atherina and Stolephorus 
spp-), mashed and mixed with sand and rolled 
into large balls. The traps for these fishes 
must be placed around the edge of the reefs, 
in from three to eight fathoms of water. 
face fishes, such as bonito and amber-fish are 
usually caught with a hand line. In fishing for 
these species a chum of ground whitebait, is 
made and scattered over the side of the boat. 
A short, stout hand-line only three or four feet 
long is used and the fish are landed at once 
without playing and placed in the live-well of 
the boat. Squid is the principal and by far the 
best bait. The seine is used for most of the 
other Carangidae. 
The collecting boat is fitted with a live-well, 
and as the traps are hauled the fish are placed 
in this well and taken to the live cars which are 
six to eight feet long, four feet wide and four 
feet deep. The frame of these cars is construct- 
ed of wood and is covered with wire netting. 
The fish are then separated according to species, 
and placed in their respective cars. The Ser- 
ranidae are kept together except when large, 
and in this case they are placed in a stronger 
and larger car where there are no small fish of 
any description whatever. This family is fed 
about three times a week on small fish, princi- 
pally pilchards. 
The angels, which are not at all angelic in 
their dispositions, are by far the most difficult 
to keep in good condition in captivity, as they 
are continually fighting. The result is that 
great numbers of them are blinded by the pre- 
opercular spines of their opponents. Their food, 
in captivity, consists of crushed mussels and sea 
urchins. 
The surgeon-fish, (Hepatus) is also a fighter, 
especially in the breeding season, and it is a 
common occurrence to find fish of this genus 
with ten or a dozen wounds about the body, in- 
flicted by the caudal spine carried by the mem- 
bers of this genus. Their food consists of 
crushed mussels, polyzoa and algae. Stones 
having these attached are gathered and placed 
in the cars. 
The parrots must be very carefully watched, 
as there appears to be always one ruler among 
Sur- 
SOCIETY 
BULLETIN. 713 
them who, while they try to feed, will dart at 
and strike the others, and will frequently ram so 
hard with the heavy jaws that the fish struck 
will not recover. Their food consists of bi- 
valves and algae attached to stones. The stones 
usually selected contain the burrowing mollusc, 
(Pholas, ete.) and are covered with the salt 
water mussel, (Mytilus), and (Arca). It is nec- 
essary that the stones be placed in the cars as 
the parrot must have something hard to crush 
with its pharyngeal teeth. The species of 
Morays, (Muraenidae) are separated, and they 
must be fed regularly, otherwise they become 
so ferocious that they attack one another. They 
are fed on small fish of any species. 
The Ostracidae, the cow and cuckold fishes, 
are separated from all other fish, and are never 
left in the same well as they throw off a slimy, 
poisonous substance that is fatal to all other 
fish. One or two left in the well over night 
will kill the whole catch. Their food consists 
of soft parts of mussels. 
Two days before the fish are separated and 
the stock selected for shipment, they are fed 
very lavishly, then they are assorted and placed 
in one large car with compartments. This car 
will hold comfortably five to six hundred fish of 
the size usually shipped. The fish are not fed 
again before shipment nor en route, making a 
total of four or five days without food. ‘The 
reason for this is that they do not properly di- 
gest their food during transportation, and any- 
thing taken is regurgitated in a short time un- 
changed. 
The large car is taken to the ship, where the 
fish are hoisted on board in buckets and placed 
in tanks constructed for the purpose, provided 
by the New York Aquarium. The ship’s pumps 
for the supply of sea-water are started about 
four or five hours previous to placing the fish in 
the tanks, in order to thoroughly cleanse the 
pump and piping of any deposits or corroded 
matter that might be injurious to the specimens. 
The water is forced freely through the tanks 
until the northern edge of the Gulf Stream is 
reached. The temperature from Bermuda to 
the Gulf Stream from early June until Septem- 
ber, ranges from 76° to 86° Fahrenheit. When 
the Gulf Stream is reached the air pump and its 
connections are overhauled and placed in readi- 
ness for use. In crossing early in June, the 
Gulf Stream will range from 76° to 78°, but 
at its western border the temperature of the 
water will drop from 10° to 20° within five 
minutes. At the slightest sign of a rapid fall, 
the water is shut off and the air applied instead 
