The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-10
THE WAYS OF FISH.
An AccoUnt of the Aauaffum IN Battery Park
New York.

that West Indian seal, the one we call
No. 2, as an example. He is a sound
sleeper, regardless of the crowds that
watch him. He can go to sleep looking
at you. He knows my voice, and some
times when he is deep in slumber 1
have to yell at him or touch him be-
fore 1 can arouse him. Nellie, the
other seal, is an expert swimmer, as
all seals are, but she is not as sound
sleeper. There you have the char
acteristics of humans. Nellie is a
Northern seal, she is more active than
the West Indian seal. The latter is
tropical therefore more lethargic. Have
you never noticed that native of the
South is less nervous in temperament
than native of more Northerly sec
tions?"
A common inquiry by Aquarium
visitors is. What do fishes eat?''
Mr.. Spencer says to this inquiry:
Fishes are like humans in this re-
spect. If they can't get what they
like they will take what they can get
In many cases fish are cannibals. The
survival of the fittest is as much OBJ
served by fishes as it is by many men,
The fish in the Aquarium, of course
do not have to hustle for their food
We give them, as nearly as possible,
what they subsisted upon before they
came here. The parrot fish, which in
my opinion are the most remarkable
species ever exhibited, certainly the
raresr We ever had here. are herbiy-
orous. We give them as nearly as we
can get it what they got in the waters
of Bermuda. BY the way, the parrot
fish is the only fish / ever saw with
varying colors. Their teeth are blue
green; the cuticle of the teeth is red
dish brown, and the covering is a pc
culiar shade of greenish blue. This
fish is so delicate in it's construction
that it has to be caught in traps.
Some other species in the Aquari-
UNI are fed on clans. That big stur-
geon eats CLAIMS whole, and as many
as we will give him. For smaller fish
we have to chop the clans very fine.
Il am often asked" Continued Mr..
Spencer, IF the fishes in the Aquarium
know when feeding time comes. Just
as we'll as the animals in Central Park
and the Bronx. We start in to feed
them cnce day, and 1t requires about
three hours to make the rounds. We
always find the fishes making toward
the surface at the feeding hour. May
he ii is reason; may be it Is
instinct. / don't pretend to say. All
/ know is that they know when their
feeding time comes"
Mr.. Spencer was asked which of his
exhibits held the place of "the oldest
inhabitant." He replied:
"The tank of striped bass. They
came here eight years ago from
Gravesend Bay, L. 1. When we got
them they measured about ten inches
in length and weighed pound and a
half each. The largest now weigh
about twenty-five pounds. Fishes are
like men, they grow on good living If
they will feed. Take that sturgeon.
He is from Bayside, N. j. He weigh
ed 300 pounds when we got him. He
won't weigh that now, but it is his
own fault. He won't eat. He has
eaten very little since we got him a
year ago. / don't know why he won't
eat.
1.-The strangest fishes I ever saw"
continued Mr.. Spencer, sis that pair of
morays from Bermuda. They have at
tracted more attention than anything
we ever had. When we first got them
some of the newspapers called them
sea serpents. / never saw a sea SER
pent, but / wouldn't say that the mo-
ray is of that species. They were
caught by hook. have not vet made
UP my mind as to what they are good
LOT. 10eg nave HO lHey are
the only fishes 1 ever saw that had
none. They very rarely leave the bot
tom of their tank"
Very few aquarium fish have died.
The attention they get would tend to
longevity. The water in each tank
is kept at the exact temperature of the
habitat. Mr. w. /. De Nyse, who
has charge Of the water tanks. at
tends to the various temperatures.
which Is quite an important part of
the aquarium.
The collection of fishes for the aqua
rum is made under the supervision of
Prof. Bristol of the biological depart
ment Of the New York University. who
is authorized TO draw on the commits
sloners to the extent OF $1,000 when an
expedition is sent out for specimens.