The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-03
HOSPITAL FOR FISHES.
Where Inmates of the New York
Aquarium Are Sent When sick.

Aquarium Are Sent When sick.
From a New York Exchange.
six thousand visitors inspected the new
gallery in the aquarium on Sunday, the
completion of which has added forty
tanks to the regular exhibit. These tanks
are somewhat smaller than those on the
main floor, but are arranged in much the
same order, and contain the smaller varie-
ties of fish as well different kinds of
crabs turtles and sea and coral anemone
From the gallery a good view is obtained
of the pools on the ground floor, In which
the sand sharks and seals disport them-
selves
The two West India seals have acquired
n new accomplishment during the past
week. This consists of filling their mouths
with water, and squirting 1t over any I'M
suspicious visitor who may be standing
near the tank. More than one person got
well soaked by them on Sunday much to
the amusement of the rest of the specta-
tors. The seals appear to be fond of Mr..
Spencer, the assistant superintendent,
whose special proteges they are, but even
he Is sometimes the victim OF their play
fulness. Yesterday he received about a
quart of water up his sleeve in return for
patting one of the animals on the head.
Efforts are being made TO break the seals
of this habit. Until these are successful
the safest place to view them Is from the
gallery.
Mondays and Tuesdays, when the aquar-
lum Is closed to the public, are busy days
for the men employed in the institution.
Every tank and pool In the building is
given thorough securing; the sides of
the tanks are scrubbed with long-handled
mops. after which the refuse and dirt Is
allowed to settle at the bottom of the
tanks, whence IL Is removed, either by
suction, through a syphon, or by opening
sluice in the floor and permitting the
water to carry 1t off. In the largest pool,
which contains the sand sharks, the water
is lowered until it is only a few inches
deep Men then get into the tank and
scrub it with mops. The sand sharks are
much more afraid of the men than the
men are of the sharks, and keep at n
| respectful distance while the cleaning pro-
cess is going on. Mr.. Spencer hopes tn
have man-eating shark at the aquarium
In month or so, when some other means
will be devised to clean this tank
Mr.. Spencer said that the question asked
most frequently is as to whether fish ever
sleep. II have watched the fish carefully
at all hours of the day and night" he said.
'and have come to the conclusion that
they do not. They are the only animals
known that possess the peculiar faculty
of being able to live without Sleep"
Behind the glass tank on the ground
are what are termed reserve tanks''
which constitute hospital for any fish
| that may become sick. DIR. j. H. Bean,
| superintendent of the aquarium who has
! probably had more experience in matters
! piscatorial than any other man in Ameri-
| ca, says that fish, like all other animals.
have their own special ailments, the cure
of which requires careful treatment and
! special diet A disease, which is the dread
/ of every aquarium in the world and to
which all fish are subject, is called fun
| gus" 1t usually appears on the head of
| the fish, and If not attended to invariably
| proves fatal. According to the doctor, the
| treatment for fungus is simple. A fresh
water fish is placed in a tank of bracksh
or saltwater, and a saltwater fish into
fresh water Fresh water kills the fun
| gus of salt water and vice versa. There are.
| however, certain fish, such as salmon,
which inhabit fresh water at one season
and salt water at another These are
known technically as anadromous. and il
infected are placed in water several degrees
more of salt than sea water, and remain
there till the fungus is killed. There are in
the aquarium at present more than 1900
fish, which have been collected in differ
ent part of the globe.
New York has now" added DIR. Bean,
1.-THE most practical aquarium in the world
and as evidence that the people appreciate
II may say that it has veen visited this
year by more than 100000 Of people,