The times., 1899-08-20
COLLECTING RARE Fish
The Aquarium a New Feature at
the Geological Park
The First Step Toward the Creation
of the Exhibit Taken About One
cured in Southern Seas Contrib
uted by the New York aquarium.

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plants house has passed the small rec
for that purpose.
This small building was once used as
the Zoo workshop. About a year ago DIR.
/ Frank Baker, the Superintendent OF Uncle
Sans menagerie of beasts, birds, and
reptiles, reached the conclusion. with
Prof Langley, of the Smithsonian Insti-
! tuition. that 1t would perhaps be a good
thing to educate and interest the public
/ in fish as well as quadrupeds, fowl, and
| all the various other fauna Of Mother
Earth. 1t was realized that a national
aquarium. well stocked with every obtain
able specimen of fresh and salt water fish
would engage the interest of almost ev-
eryone. There was little doubt that there
would be much concern in the project
The ichthyologist who delights to study
the ways and haunts of the fnny tribes
that infest the waters Of American rivers
and seas could not fail to find pleasure in
observing all kinds and conditions Of fish
through the transparent sides OF nurner-
Gus aquaria- Then there comes the patient
and devoted disciple OF Izaac Walton
Prince of the Rod. eager TO watch the
manner in which the object Of his desire,
the suceulent bass. the spotted trout, the
soft-hnned sunfish. some other favorite
/ fish cavort in the water. The epicure
I should not be forgotten. He may pride
himself upon his ability TO distinguish be-
tween the flavor Of Mississippi catfish
and the ordinary Potomac species Of the
same genus. but his pleasures would not
| end there were he offered the opportunity
to watch the striped and spotted beauties
OF river waters swimming in the aquarium
| tanks just as they do before they are
| hooked and netted for the markets OF the
country.
/ There are many kinds of people who are
interested in the fish in special ways. but
over and above all these stands the popu-
/ lace. II IS the people that would be most
keenly interested in the national aquari-
um- A visit 10 the great tank-house of a
mammoth aquarium would be source OF
amusement, instruction, and recreation
In New York 10000 persons visit the
aquarium near the Battery almost every
Sunday. The State expends $50. 600 annu-
ally for the support and maintenance CT
the institution and does not regret. it is
stated the time and the money which are
devoted TO the scheme.
DR.. Baker and Prof. Langley have been
much impressed with the success attend
ant upon the New York venture, and. in
keeping with their natural desire TO make
the local Zoo, the peer of any in the
world, are anxious to make il complete,
and in doing so TO establish an aquarium
such as even New York will, in course OF
time fail TO surpass.
Undertaking the Project.
Their first step in this direction was ta-
ken about a year ago when the Zoo
workshop, already mentioned, was trans
formed into an. aquarium with sixteen
aquaria. These tanks were stocked with
a number of fish but many died and the
first seven months were very diseourag-
ing. Last spring practical man who has
studied fish all his life was placed in
charge of the tanks He made weekly ex-
cursions to neighboring streams and riv-
ers with his assistants. They caught sew
eral hundred specimens in all, and soon
replenished the empty tanks.
Under their guidance and care the fish
thrived until every tank at the aquarium
now fairly teens with beautiful, welI-fed
denizens of the Potomac and nearby rivers.
Every fish known TO local anglers is rep
resented in the present small collection
About week ago the superintendent OF the
aquarium visited the New York aquarium
and secured several dozen saltwater fish,
which had been brought from the Bermu-
das. They are psculiar-looking objects and
distinctly different from anything ever
caught in local waters. These have been
the northwest corner of the aquarium The
water is not sea water, but artificial salt
water manufactured in the tank house and
kept in a large cistern behind the aquaria.
This water is pumped through an ice-cold
coil of pipe, and poured into the two tanks
at a temperature of Y degrees 1t flows out
again and after being passed through a
sand filter to remove its impurities finds its
way back TO the large cistern. purified, and
6t fo ha used again in the two Salr-Water
aquaria.
Specimens Represented
Among the queer looking specimens rep
resented in the Bermuda collection are
two groupers. two trigger-fsh. two spot
ted snappers. two grey snappers, two blue
| striped grunts, two trunk-fish. one angel
| fish, and some Dreams All are remarka-
bly, beautiful, their coloring being as brill
| liant and rich as the tints of a tropical
| sunset.
| The grouper is interesting by reason OF
! the fact that its stripes change color at
| different hours of the day. making it a
/ kind of fnny chameleon. At times its
broad stripes are as black as ebony, and
/ at other times there is not spot of black
| on the fish's body, blue having become the
! distinguishing color
The angel-ish has two broad soft-ins.
as flexible and as delicate as the MULE in
an American girls vacation gown. These
fins are like wings and are perhaps re-
sponsible for the name OF the specimen.
Its color is a delicate and transparent
blue, which shades of gradually into the
most brilliant silver at the dorsal fin and
tail. 1t is difficult 70 transport angel fish
any distance from the ocean and the
Zoo specimen enjoys the distinction OF
having come a greater distance and sur
viyed the journey than any other member
of the family
The trunk fish is triangular in shape
and looks like a three-sided Japanese Ian
tern. II is a species of shelifsh, and per-
sists in making circus of itself" dart
ing from one part of its aquarium to an
other, and frequently rising TO the surface
to spout a tiny stream of water from its
mouth in whale-like fashion.
One of the tanks is devoted TO Potomac
black bass, of which species sixty-tWo
are exhibited. some weighing one and
three-quarters pounds. In the same tank
are three Pear Reaches donated BY l. B.
Spencer, of the New York Aquarium In
an adjoining tank are seventy yellow
perch and sunfsh while a third eompart-
ment is filed with Mississippi catfish.
caught from the Potomac into which
stream they were introduced several years
ago. Among other specimens exhibited
are catfish tench. roach. mullet mudish.
dogfish. bowfsh, lawyers. goggie-eyed
bass, Oswego bass. striped bass. large
carp, of which variety the collection sur
passes that of the New York Aquarium;
Japanese fringle-tails, and silver fms. The
collection is thriving and is engaging
much attention from Dr. Baker. who is In
charge of the Zoo Prof Langley is row
abroad. but when he returns IL is under
stood that he will ask Congress for an an