Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-12-12
1ailu Aennsbst sournal.
TIE NEW YORK AQUARIUM.


and Thirty y-flfth street is the centre of at
traction TO the little folks hereabouts, just
now, and the elders seem to like il quite
as well. At a first glance, the interior
resembles the German beer gardens that
are Sc numerous in this region, for it is a
large hall with bare floor, the walls
adorned only with rustic work, and at one
end great mass of rocks with ferns and
grasses growing in the crevices. Above
these rocks is a rustic bridge, large enough
TO hold perhaps, twenty persons, with
steps leading up TO it at each end. There
are rustic arbors, like garden summer
houses, with settees and chairs, where
visitors can sit when weary, and above
one OF these arbors is kind oi balcony
where band is stationed, and plays at
intervals through the day.
In the midst of a mass oil rocks Is
pood-sized cave or grotto, where the sea
ion lies most of the time. His quarters
are commodous, for he has a stone walk
leading from the grotto to a large tank OF
sea-waier; but he does not seem to ap-
precale his comforts. to judge from the
hoarse. distressing howl with which he
enlvens the place now and then.
Near the centre of the hall is a still
IdTgtT ldIh WuttC tuC hlb VI tht $ho'
the white whale-resides. He is "A little
fellow. not more than twelve leet long.
and very slender--for whale--and swims
uneasily round and round all the time as
if he wanted more 'elbow room"
There is one other large tank in the mid
die OF the floor where the three little brown
seals, with their bright shining eyes and
lively motions attract a good deal Of at
All tt.,,a Ia ts
said that one of them has been taught to
play a hand-organ, but we did not see any
such performance.
On one side of the hall are the tanks
containing only salt water fishes. These
tanks are quite large, with mimic caves
and grottoes, and seaweeds and sponges
growing among the rocks. In the largest
of them are several sharks; not very ami
able looking fellows, with their dull,
wicked eyes and ugly mouths. and with
them some of the queer fat skates, with
eyes on the top of their bodies, and
mouths on the under side. They lie
motionless, pressed closely to the side or
bottom of the tank. while the turtles and
Holsters walk over them unheeded.
There was funny scene in one tank of
catfish and bass. In the upper part of the
tank was a sort of balcony Of rock work,
and here were some five or six OF the
clumsy-looking big-headed catfish all in
row, as If standing on their tails. while
the other occupants of the tank were ly
ing almost motionless at the bottom. As
we were watching them, little girl came
along. and burst out laughing as she ex.
claimed, "Oh, see ! the catfishes are sing
ing in the choir, and the others are the
congregation. listening" and it did look
comically like it.
Then came the starfish tank, with dozens
OF the queer creatures pressed against the
sides. and clinging to the rocks, and then
its opposite. the goldfish tank, with its
clouds of beautiful, cleaning inhabitants
darting swiftly about.
On the other side of the hall were two
rows of still smaller tanks. Here were
the alligators, two large ones and dozen
or more little ones. When not in the
water they lie around in the most awk-
ward. uncomfortable attitudes, apparently
sleeping. One little fellow sat on the old
ones head all the time we were there,
while the others clung to one another like
string of black sausages.
The seahorses are curious little crea-
lures. They must be the mermaid ponies,
or would be if they were larger. Their
heads are very like horses, but their
bodies end in regular tails, but prehensile
ones, like q monkeys, and when they
sit down they twine these tails round
seaweed and sit down standing up. The
seahorse ladies must be advocates of wo-
mans rights, for they eschew all family
cares save that Of producing the eggs,
hirh a hroha r,da 70 ,I
in pouch that seems to be made for the
purpose, till the eggs are hatched. and
even for a while after that. When, how
ever, be thinks the small fry are big enough
to carry themselves, he unceremonious,y
tumbles them out of their queer cradles
into the water, though he still continues
to watch over them.
The sea raven is another "odd fish,"
looking as if some one had glued Jumps
of flesh all over its body, and the Alle-
ghany hellbenders or salamanders are
dark brown, sluggish looking creatures.
and have habit, at certain seasons. of
casting their outer skin and making a
meal Of it, as the toads do.
The latest acquisition to the collection
is the Japanese fish, called the kingiyo.
1t is lovely little creature, its body
shining orange, its head mottled orange
and silver. and its triple tail Of a delicate
filmy matter, like fine gauze. 1t is said
that the gentleman who brought it from
Japan had SO when he left that country.
but only lived to reach America.
The fish-hatching troughs where sal
mon eggs can be seen in all stages, from
the tiny egg to quite well-grown fish,
attract much attention, and so does the
nest building sickle back. But the
aquarium itself is not the only attraction
here. Connected with it is a reading
room. with platform for lectures; H.
brary OF natural history, with all the
scientific periodicals, and naturalist's
laboratory, and these are entirely free to
all-whether visiting the aquarium or
not. One cannot begin to see all there
is of interest in one visit, but it is evident
that the opportunities for study and obser-
walton. as well as amusement. are appre-
ciated by the people of New York, for
the crowd Of visitors is constantly in
creasing.