The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-06-09
AMONG CAPTIVE FISHES.
some Get Tank weary-Mest Of ThsA
COmfortable-All Would Go
Free II They Coald.

Sometimes fishes that have been for /
o considerable time In captivity In
aquariums get tank weary, and die
without, apparently, suffering from
any disease. 1t might be supposed
that fishes that had been long in cap
tivity would become quite Injured to |
confinement, and Indifferent to 1t. As |
q matter of fact, however, though |
fshes may not become tank weary,
yet, comfortable as they are, always
carefully looked after and we'll fed;
their comfort, in fact, sought for In
every way, there Ia never a minute
when they would not all seek broader
waters II they could hnd their way to
them.
Some fishes are far more sensitive
and susceptible to shock than others,
and SO are least likely long to survive;
but as general thing the larger the
inclosure in which the captive fishes
are held the more comfortable they
are and the better they stand captiv-
ity. In one of the pools on the floor
Of the aquarium in this city there is a
handsome lot of striped bass that have
been there now more than Ave years,
In the course of which time they have
more than doubled In size and weight.
Occasionally out Of this lot, fish has
died; Just as creatures OF any kind,
anywhere, might die; but the deaths
among them have been very few, 1t is
probable, indeed, that In one way and
another there would have been moro
lost from among them In the same
time II they had been, instead of be-
ing In captivity, subjected to the vicis-
situdes of the open sea. These striped
bass, however besides being we'll cared
for and we'll fed, have a comfortable
body OF water In which TO swim about,
their pool is as feet In length by about
ten feet In width, with depth OF four
feet. There IL really some scope for
them here. and In such o pool they
could scarcely become tank weary;
that is an afiilctlon that falls to the
hAhes confined In the more limited
space Of the tanks along the walls.
A hsh that has nothing the matter
with II so far as can be seen, no
wounds, no fungus growths upon II to
indicate that II Is anything but well
fish, may lie down listlessly upon the
bottom Of the tank, being apparently
helpless or having given up. Such
fishes are taken out Of the exhibition
tanks and put into reserve or hos
pital tank at the rear OF the corridor
that runs around the aquarium, be-
tween the outer and the inner walls,
back Of the exhibition tanks, and
cared for there. As an example, there
was taken from one Of the exhibition
tanks Of the aquarium not long since
a sea bass weighing about three
pounds, that had practically grown up
there; II had been In the aquarium
about four years, and In that time had
come to have an individuality; to be,
as might, indeed be said Of many an
other flsh there, known to the man
having him In charge.
The sea bass, after spending all
those years In the tank. and growing
up there, always well and apparently
comfortable, suddenly one day, with
out any previous indication, lay down
II was taken out and put into a -e-
serve tank and nursed along as well as
il could be. Sometimes 1t would be up
in Its natural position In the water,
with its body vertical, but commonly
II would be lying down, the movement
Of its gill covers barely perceptible
with Its faint respiration. After about
a week the sea bass finally died; and
apparently there was nothing the mat
ter with 1t, no allment; It was simply
tank weary. More often the tank
weary fish ends like this, but some
times fishes thus affected and thus
treated recover their spirits and go
back to the exhibition tanks.
But while fishes are thus susceptible
TO tank weariness, still, the majority
OF them are not thus affected, settling
Gown after they have become aceus-
toned to their quarters to humdrum
existence. II may take the nobler
kinds Of fishes some time to do this,
and fish, very likely without know
ing what It is doing except that II
wants TO get out, may, when Arst put
into the tank, try TO jump out, and
: jump, head-on, up against the screen
across the top OF the tank with force
that would knock the screen endwayS
II 1t were not weighted down, with a
smash that would make anybody who
saw II uncomfortable for the fsh's
sake, for all fishes are very sensitive
about the nose, and sometimes fishes
ole Of shock from plunglng head-ou
Into the wall Of the tank.
But after a time, as a rule, the ma.
jority OF the fishes settle down and
lead q routine life, subject to the ills
, that fishes have, but, on the whole
having comfortable time Of It even
In captivity. But, though compare.
lively few may get tank weary, the
instructive love of freedom, while Il
may be dormant, is alive In each and
! every one OF them. II IN some way
an avenue Of escape could be opened
$ into every tank at once, there isn't q
fish in them all but would swim away
as swiftly as II could go, and not lob
ster nor a crab but would follow the
fsh.--N. Y. Sun.
Washington, May 28.--ln the sen
-, ate Friday, Mr.. Morgan, of Alabama
: in speaking on the Philippine meas
!, ure, said the islands belonged TO tn,
United States. He did not believe tt,