The sun., 1900-08-19
LIFE IN TINE SHARK TANK.
Pa,sias Of tn. Pilot Fish and Introduction Of
the Yellow MacksTsi

One Of the Aauarium's most striking and
attractive exhibits Ia a shark behlnd glass In
tank. where II can be approached and viewed
close at hand Thelo are several sharks In the
great ooutral pool on the floor OF the AQUARIUM
but thcy don't begin to fir the eye a. this single
one does, where the Visitor can set "lullh
three or four feet OF IL and inspect II closely "a
II swims deliberately about. IL is only about
four feet long, but shark Is shark and even
four footer seen close at hand as thus ohs u
suggests strength, reserve power and ferocity.
when the shark was lrst placed In the tank
there were put In with II two Or three pilot
fishes. taken from the pool whence the shark
had como. Here they followed their natural
habit Of accompanying the shark Ia its goingS
about. They went whore II did. swimming
under It. alongside Of II. somewhere near II,
all the time lnsepsrabls companions Of tue
shark, and fearless OF 1t ever. A pilot 1sh
that was disturbed by parasites whioh made
II itch, would deliberately rub Itself against
the sharks body and then turn round and
rub the other side. The sharks skin serves
this purpose well. Sharks skin. indeed. when
properly cured. Il sometimes put 20 the uses
Of sand paper. The shark never resented this
sort Of thing in fact. it paid no attention 10 IL
along would pay attention 10 small tug that
rubbed against its side. But now and then
po PIE s wp reaeb 70 pdRap ma an in fe
at the end Of tho tank. when II swung round
70 go down in tho other di ection In is eeasolcss
slow swlnnihg, would mp at 1t as though re-
sontlng the pilots audsclty
Ono after another. due 10 the accidents Of
captivity or TO the natural course OF thing,
tho tank 70 keep company Win the shark two
si2able yellow maokercl,, al.d later. one little
on the go. as the shark II. though IN q different
manner. The shark came from GldN "send
bay. as did the two larger 9f the yellow mack
put In tho tank 1t sought immediGtely the con-
rom dravo.eqd C'ai' i RnoW RS'''' its 81 0d9d ESd
them ever sinoe Occasionally. TO be sure
the little one darts away from them fer an
excursion on lie own account az little child
runs away from its guardians but II comes
quickly back The two LlE yellow mackere
hang closely together. and commonly the
little one. In the turns and circles that they
circle so that with its shorter leSsit will have
loss ground TO cover or else 10 keep the bigger
fishes between IL and the shark.
For the yellow mackerel do not follow or
TSs 9TeScOmpsny the shark as tRe plHt fish did
but It win be noticed that they keen az uni
form distance from him and that the distance
they take y pretty nearly as great ne The suecc
In the tank will permit. And their f2iloNins
to follow. TO keop always near The tail end
Of tho shark and away from hi head. They
show IN this nervous scGYty OF moyement
II he got chance Dobody knows. though The
yellow mackerel zeem 20 have a pretty clear
0pntd2n but as i r. he gsd sTlns round and
keeping a. one part Of hls double tank and
then starting OF through the connecting arch
and coming % back through tho area oag and S sane fn
slowly thus back and forth to and fro inter
minably. and ALWAYS deliberately and ap-
parently never noting the nervous yellow