The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-03-15
AT THE AQuAR1uRs TABLE.
An Institution where They Like -
See Every Boarder with .
Good Appetite.

Always dltcT a uCWsy -Cuptu1Su 41eAA
has been put into tank the first thing
done is to feed it, or try to get it to- eat.
At some periods of the year some Axhes
in nature may go without food entire
Iy for long time; and in captivity they
might do the same, or eat very little;
but as a general proposition fish that
is doing we'll eats well; and there II
nothing else that pleases those that
have the care of captive fish 50 much as :
to see the stock with good appe-
tites. That means that the fishes are
feeling well, to begin with, and their
taking food regularly and in. sufficient
quantities means that they are keep
ing up their strength, and, SO to spesk.
their spirits. As long as fish eats It
is all right. The newcomers are not
only tempted with the most attractive
food that can be supplied to them, bnt
they are actually fed by hand, that + S
the food is actually put into thctr
mouths, and this very likely is done
day after day; and the biggest and
clumsiest of the fishes are tho ones like.
liest to be fed in this manner.
Food was thus offered upon their ar
rival and settlement in their tank to the
two big western catfishes now Ia the
aquarium; this Is in the shape Of slicck
of fish carried down to them IN the
water on the end of stick and put actu-
ally into their mouths in order to In
iuce them to eat: they would not, Of
their own accord, have picked up food
1t that time at all. The great green
moray, otherwise called the junior sea
serpent, seven feet long and with sharp
teeth and powerful jaws, which has
low been in the aquarium more than
,ix months, has taken almost III its
food in that manner from the begin
aing. It rears its great head, and dQpens
its jaws, and the food is put into its
| mouth. Even then the big moray d0es
not by any means always eat Il, but
after holding it in its mouth for one os
five or ten seconds time lets II fall. But
svery day, with untiring patience, food
is offered to it.
/ Every effort is always made to giye the
fishes generally what they would like
to eat, and their diet Is varied rs much
as possible with marine delicacies, such
as shrimps, soft-shelled CLAIMS, and 90
on, and it is sought to satisfy the tastes
Of even individual fishes. For example.
the green parrot fishes like soft sclams,
shells and all, and they get thems these
beautiful fishes eating the entire clam,
biting out small chunks and chewing
up the pulp and shell very fne and sssal-
lowing all; most fishes that eat 0nescrt
and another of crustaceans, rejectlne
the shells. But that's the way the green
lparrots like CLAIMS and that's tte Skay
the CLANS are fed to them. On the othet
hand. there are some fishes thst SCI
their soft CLAIMS on the half she'll, these
being the angel fishes, the coWAshea
: and the trunkfishes, and as It has beer
: found that it is better for these hAhes
: health that they should not seat tn
: tough head of the clam with the leath
ery, skinny hood that covers II, thu
: part is cut out before the CLAIMS, On a.
I. half shell, are put into the tanks to
them.-N. Y. Sun.