Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-30

10 lift 1t beyond the domain or experiment and
make il but a matter of time and patience to
develop II to point of wonderful interest.
SURPRISING RESULTS.
"In the few aquaria for some months de-
voted to marine objects" said The Stars in
formant, ''some surprising results have been
achieved. Ags has developed to a length of
several inches; mollusks have spawned. and
fishes OF delicate nature usually difficult to keep
in an aquarium by the sea, such as the butter
fish, sculpin, sea-robin, mullet, &c, have been
found to live we'll
Are you collecting marine objects at present.
ventured the reporter.
Not now. At this season of the year il is
next 10 impossible TO collect marine objects in
this latitude. As the temperature lowers" he
continued, FISHES move down into greater
depths--crustaceans, mollusks, dc.. settle down
into the mud and ooZe creep under rocks or
anything providing shelter and there await
spring. the algR become faded and bleached,
and nothing but the sunshine and warmth of
spring will restore them. Although efforts
have been made, 1t has been found impossible
to find the necessary material to stock the
aquaria III satisfactory manner until the re-
turn of settled warmer weather. The return of
the commission steamer, Fish Hawk, from the
Gulf of Mexico, in April, will no doubt add
many wonderful and interesting tropical and
subtropical forms"
DO you think," asked the scribe, "tbat the
development of marine and other kinds OF
aquarla Ill this city is a successI"
''Yes. think So" he answered, land with
the experiments which have already taken
place. have little doubt but that II may be the
means of stimulating the great cities OF this
country to the establishment OF aquarla TO rival
those OF Europe. You must not forget, be
continued, that the present attempt Is but the
embryonic stage and its development will be
watched with interest by lovers Of nature"
NEW DEPARTURE.
There are certain original features in the
present attempt which it is believed mark q
new departure and will give 1t great advan-
tage over similar attempts elsewhere. The
principal one of these is the adoption of the
green house style of building the aquaria which
affords an abundance OF light and especially of
sunlight, so necessary to the healthy deyel-
opment of both plant and animal life. Most
aquaria are established III buildings lighted by
windows in the sides. These do not furnish sufi-
cient light. There are long periods of cloudy
gloomy weather, when aquaria will have only
moderate light even with glass overhead
such condition has very depressing and some
times serious effect upon the fish and plants
Nv hat Is the present capacity of the marine
aquarla at central station?' asked the reporter.
About 1850 gallons, distributed in "a
tanks" answered the fish man. The total
amount OF sea water in use, however, reaches
5000 gallons"
Placed at intervals around the room large
grottoes may be seen, made of papier mache,
and Lending novel effect. Inside the grottoes
ranged lengthwise, are the aQuaria, and the
bright sunlight from above makes a striking
picture. You seem TO be under the water. as it
were.
What are the advantages derived from the
grotto style of exhibiting?' asked the re-
porter.
There are several advantages aside from
picturesque effect. The great volume of light
which is necessary to the success of aquaria is
Ttf |r1r
except as it Eliminates the tank This is rest
ful to the eye and creates the pleasing illusion
OF being beneath the waters. II also allows the
attendants to pursue their work without inter-
ruptlon. hides the circulatory system and
eliminates everything of distracting nature
1t also" continued the fish man, economies
labor In the saving of time usually occupied in
fishing out the ground nuts. cake. &C.. SO lib
orally provided by an indulgent public"
The study of the display of animal life from
the lowest forms, the spOnges. to the highest,
the fish, is very interesting. Each has its pc
culiarities. There are three species OF sponges.
all alive and apparently doing well. The anem-
ones are OF the species common to the New
England coast. They vary in color from white
and white splotched with brown to yellow and
seal brown. When fully expanded they look
like bed of flowers. Unfortunately the
change OF temperature from the warmth of the
main building TO the grotto annex has been
considerable, and they are not at present show
ing their full beauty. few DAYS of warm
weather, however, will bring them out in line
style.
or mollusks there are oysters, lono-neck
clans, quahang or little-neck clans. .wo species
OF mussels, periwinkles. crepidula and whelks
The egg cases of the whelks may be seen in the
tanks with them. They are long strings of Hat
capsules OF tough integument in which the
young whelks develop before making their
debut.
OF cEUsTAcEASs
there are barnacles, prawns, hermit crabs the
rock crab, the blue crab edible crab) the
horseshoe or king crab lobster, and one or two
smaller species. The prawns are a small species
Of the shrimp family, quite transparent. and
attaining length of about one and quarter
inches. The hermit crab is one of the most in
teresting members of his family His most
charming characteristic il his habit of living in
house and of carrying it about on his back
wherever he goes His hinder parts being soft
he lives in the east-of shell of some mollusk,
and some have been found occupying the bowl
OF q pipe or the neck of a bottle. Unfor.
tunately such luxurious abodes are scarce with
them. When they grow too large for the house
they hunt around for a larger one. into whic b
they immediately move. II there happens to
be a natural owner in the shell his time on
earth is brief, for the hermit .'eats him out OF
house and home" The blue crab, the kind we
eat, 10 wary and pugnacious little fellow.
Deyiled or as a soft shell he is very popular.
The king crab presents an admirable model for
a snow plough or a road scraper. They are ap-
plrentiy always busy shovelling sand, evidently
IN search of marine worms.
OF FISHES
there are quite variety of species, the short
mumy-chos club, three species Of stickleback
tnest builders), gobys, tom cod. tautog, sculpin
hparis. load fish, Inullet, fiat fish (fiounder),
scuppang (scup. New England), ''porgy," New
Jersey. The minnows are OF value only al
food for larger species and as bait for the fish
erman and angler. The sticklebacks are inter
the total reversal of the domestic economy.
in which he encoses the eggs, binding the
from special glands just as the spider
the nest acting as the needle for the thread.
stopping from time to time to shape the nest
anu add fresh material. A little orifee is left.
| through which the fish draws water by means
Of his mouth and gills, thus maintaining a cir
culation and keeping the eggs fresh The
female fish is driven away with great iierceness
should she venture near the nest. and the male
rocks the cradle, as il were, without assistance
until the little ones depart to take up life upon
| their own hooks, without even the knowledge
that they ever had a mother. The gobys are
small fish which live in the shells of mollusks
/ The few specimens now in the aquaria were
taken from oyster shells which have been out
OF water three or four days an old oystermap
sending them, together with several other sal,
water specimens 60 the station
| The tom cod is a northern fish Of the cod
4 family. and OF some commercial yalna Tbe