936 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 





^J^*L, 



The vertical fins often assume very unusual positions in 

 sculling slowly about the aquarium tank. 



Dr. Otto Kress, of the Department of Chemis- 

 try of Columbia University, undertook the 

 analysis, and his results showed that in spite of 

 the corrosion there has been no increase in such 

 poisonous salts in the water. There is thus no 

 reason to fear that the very considerable chemi- 

 cal action of the warm sea-water upon our piping 

 and pumps can prove a 

 source of danger to the 

 fishes. 



The thanks of the New 

 York Zoological Society art- 

 due Dr. Kress for his kind- 

 ness in making the analysis. 



and is still on exhibition. This specimen weighs 

 about four hundred and fifty pounds, the largest 

 loggerhead ever seen at the Aquarium. Several 

 others weigh in the neighborhood of two hun- 

 dred pounds, and the smallest one weighs about 

 fifty. 



The smaller hawk's-bills live well, but larger 

 ones, seventy-five to one hundred pounds, appear 

 to be unable to adapt themselves to the condi- 

 tions of life in captivity and can seldom be 

 induced to take food. 



Leatherbacks have been tried on several occa- 

 sions, but the attempt to keep them has always 

 resulted in failure. They swim continually, will 

 take no food and soon weaken and die. Pos- 

 sibly very young individuals might give different 

 results, but these we have not been able to ob- 

 tain. 



All the larger turtles arc kept in the harbor 

 water, though in nature they live in the purest 

 sea-water of the open ocean. 



Other Aquariums. — American cities have been 

 slow to perceive the importance of the public 

 aquarium as a means of entertainment and 



The Large Turtles. — 

 Both the green and logger- 

 head turtles live well in cap- 

 tivity, no matter what their 

 age, provided, of course, that 

 they have sustained no in- 

 juries in capture or during 

 transportation. 



There are at present 

 twelve green turtles of vari- 

 ous sizes in the New York 

 Aquarium. The smallest 

 weighs not more than ten 

 pounds, the largest about 

 four hundred. One specimen 

 from the South Pacific Ocean 

 was brought around Cape 

 Horn in a sailing vessel and 

 presented to the Aquarium 

 in 1898. It is in excellent 

 condition after fourteen 

 years of confinement. 



One loggerhead was re- 

 ceived on August 29, 1900, 



TRUNKFISHES 



• humpbacked Buffalo Trunkfish. the common Trunkfish and the horned Cowfish 

 are all represented in the same tank. 



