THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM JOURNAL. 
3 
FACTS AND FANCIES ABOUT FISH, 
FOR OUR YOUNG FOLKS. 
TOLD BY UNCLE OCTOPUS. 
It is the way with the world that when we 
who live in it wish to make friends with each 
other, we must first tell who we are, what w r e 
want and where we come from. Now, this is 
easy enough, or should be, if there is some 
kind friend to introduce us, or il we speak the 
same language and so can introduce ourselves. 
But what if the old man in the moon should slip 
off some day, and come tumbling down among 
us ; and what it he could not speak English or 
German or French or anything, then it seems to 
me the old gentleman would have a hard time 
of it. 
By this time the young friends of Uncle Oc¬ 
topus may be wondering rvhat he is talking 
about, and what all this rubbish about the man 
in the moon means, and, worst of all, who and 
what is Uncle Octopus anyway? Well, the 
truth is that this new uncle of yours does not 
know exactly what or who he is himself, and so, 
like the man in the moon, he finds it hard work 
to introduce himself to you. He knows he is odd 
looking as you will see when he shows you his 
picture some day, and he knows too that his an¬ 
cestors lived in a world called the sea, which is 
more wonderful than the moon if not so distant. 
In fact the more he thinks of it the more this 
’ odd looking uncle is satisfied to have his nephews 
and nieces go to the Aquarium themselves and 
see if they can find anyone answering to the 
name of Octopus, and if he is there he begs 
them not to think him so ligly as he looks. 
Nor are all the other sea folk as ugly as he, 
for in this same Aquarium, corner of 35th street 
and Broadway, you will see surjy wonderful and 
beautiful creatures as you never saw before. 
Here are great caves filled with water, which is 
kept from running out by large glass walls, and 
in these caves you will see big fish and little fish, 
lobsters and crabs, sharks and sticklebacks, and 
so many, many more, that you will soon wish 
that you too were fishes with fins, that you might 
swim about in the clear, cool water, and never 
be bothered with school books or have to cany 
umbrellas when it rained. Now it is about this 
water world and all its wonders that you are to be 
told, and some of the stories will make you open 
your eyes, even when it is time you were all 
abed and asleep. One of these stories you shall 
have now, as it is told in rhyme by a friend of 
children who says that if it did not happen it 
might have happened, for all she knows, and 
this is just as good. If you will read all that is 
on this page you will read this story of Life 
Under the Ocean Wave, and then if you come 
to the Aquarium in time you will receive a beau¬ 
tiful book with .pictures of Prince Whale and his 
Army. 
Now, my young friends, I must stop while 
Madge Elliot tells you the story, and when she 
has done we will wait two weeks for another, and 
when you have heard all the wonderful facts and 
fancies about fish, you will knorv more and think 
better of Uncle Octopus. 
LIFE UNDER THE OCEAN WAVE, 
WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THE AQUARIUM JOURNAL. 
Madge Eixiot. 
1 . 
Once there was great commotion, 
In the kingdoms of old ocean. 
Where fishes, big and little, good and naughty, play and 
roam'; 
Where the Sturgeon and the Star-Fish, 
And all other things that are fish 
And some that aren’t, exactly, have their happy, briny 
home. 
2 . 
A big net had descended — 
Where it began and ended, 
So mighty ’tvvas, the sharpest fish could not contrive to 
see— 
The Blue Shark tried to break it— ? 
How he did pull and shake it! 
But he couldn’t stir a single cord, so had to let it be. 
3. 
Said Miss Nautilus, “ Good gracious 
Now isn’t this audacious? 
Let’s tell liis Royal Highness, the jolly Prince of Whales,” 
And away went Shad and Tunny, 
Crabs, Turbots, Urchins funny, 
All, except the lazy Sun-fish, to unfold their moving 
tales. 
4. 
And the reason why the Sun-fish, 
The snub-nosed, queer-eyed Sun-fish, 
Didn’t join the dashing party in silver, green and gold 
(Indeed, ycu livay believe it, ^ 
As honest truth receive it,) 
Fie is naught but head and shoulders and had no tail 
to unfold ! 
5. 
Upon his throne of coral 
In very fine apparel 
Sat the Prince, his crown upon his head, his faithful 
Dog-fish near. 
“ With your Majesty’s permission ’’— 
Flounder handed a petition, 
His Highness opened wide mouth—it stretched rom 
ear to ear! 
6 . 
As he read he lashed the waters ; 
“ Now by my sons and daughters " 
He roared at last, “I’ll stop this thing or else I’ll blow 
no more. 
Whence comes this net to fright you, 
That Blue Shark cannot bite through. ’ 
Is it from side of vessel dropped, or cast out from the 
shore ? ’ ’ 
7. 
Oil ! dear how he did frown, “Sir, 
It fell so quickly down, Sir,” 
The trembling fish replied, “ ’tis strange we were not all 
shut in.” 
“ Whence comes it? ” “ No one knows, Sir.” 
“ /Re can that fact disclose, Sir.” 
And Walking-fish and Climbing-perch came forward, 
fin in fin. 
* 8 . 
“ From vessels and from shores, Sir, 
From boats with sails and oars, Sir, 
From diving bells the nets are thrown—we’ve seen the 
men at work— 
And they’re searching for the fairest, 
The queerest and the rarest 
Of sea-born things to bear them to the City of New York. ” 
9. 
“ There Coup will them imprison. 
And Reiche say they’re his’n, 
(In schools of fish, I grieve to say, no grammars ever 
come) 
And they will pine and languish 
And strangers mock their anguish 
In a place these cruel men have built, called an Aquar¬ 
ium.” 
10 . 1 
Prince Whale then blew and spouted— 
“ These minions shall be routed ; 
Red Trumpet-fish sound the alarm—let Flying-fish 
appear * 
To lead the way, and Cod-fish 
Summon those very odd fish 
The Sticklebacks who fight so well—tell each to bring 
his spear.” 
11 . 
“Shrimp-Guards collect your forces 
And saddle our sea-horses, 
Bid Gen. Sword-fish straightway mount and call the 
Lobsters out; 
The Seal shall tarry by me, 
The Crab-cadets watch nigh me. 
In times like these I like to have my watch and sea 
about.” 
12 . 
’Twas clone. With scales bright gleaming, 
And sea-weed banners streaming, 
With martial band, and sword and lance, they bravely 
sought the foe ! 
One in his boat was floating— 
Smn ended Was his boating ; 
The Octf. -us seizecUbourriit5~kgK, and-d-raggecl-If.nv- 
down below. 
13. 
Oil Turtle’s hack they bound him 
And placed a guard around him, 
Then hurried back to big Prince Whale the glorious news 
to tell. 
He, by the by, had eaten 
Since they had held their meetin’ 
Some thousand crabs, and shrimps, and fish; he must 
have loved them wel 
14. 
“Unbind the knave offishous— 
This fisherman so vicious,” 
Thundered the prince “ from this day forth our pris’ner 
he shall be 
Shut up within a cell, Sir, 
Made of the strongest shell, Sir ; 
There shall you stay, and rue the day you braved 
us of the sea ! ” 
15 
Alas ! for such great blowing 
The captain proved too knowing ; 
That very night he burst his shell, and gaily swam away, 
But ho returned with dozens 
Of his brothers, friends, and cousins 
And captive took Prince Whale himself, and nil his 
court, next day ! 
16. 
And now they’re all a-plasliing 
A swimming and a-flashing 
In giant tanks built just for them, and feeling quite at 
hum, 
“ Hum’s wrong ? ” Yes, yes. I know so, 
But it will have to go so. 
For it must rhyme with my last word — in the 
Aquarium.” 
