New-York tribune., 1903-01-06
NOT GIVING AaUARIA AWAY.
Misleading Announcements Cause Amusing
Requests-School Children Visit
Aquarium.

Since the announcement that the Geological So
ciety in charge of the Battery Park Aquarium
would supply aquarfa gratis to public schools q
number OF amusing acquisitions have been received
hy superintendents and director All sorts and con
dtons of educational institutions have applied for
share of this bounty, and in some cases it has
been difficult to convince them that fine, fully
stocked aquarium could not be shipped TO any ap-
plicant AS a matter of fact the present Aquarium
authorities did not at any time contemplate doing
than supplying the stock material for Few
aquaria in the public schoois-sharins its own
overflow. speak and possibly assisting with
suggestions in the subsequent selection of the Tive
stock for these. This idea, well as that OF
reserving the Aquarium mornings in the week
for the school children, originated with the
present director Despite the fact that an average
Of five thousand persons daily frequent the big
Ratterv Park building there is material enough
there. think the present management prohtaoiy 10
engage the interest of many more, and 1t IS TO
this end the further popularizing OF its resources
| that they endeavoring to meet the pubic
| more than half way. There is scarcely a Monday
| or Thursday morning that two or three
| classes from various schools cannot ne seen
| grouped here and there about the galleries under
| the care of teachers and obging attendant
whose fund of information and incident generauy
appears fnexhaustible.
The De Witt Clinton High School natural his
tory class at work vertebrates. made the rouhoS
! Yesterday twenty strong. Settlements private
schools and missions all contribute to the b1weeky
| morning crowds. One small seeker after knoWi-
| edge. having gazed in intense admiration al 'ne
! tanks of cat. dog squirrel and COW FISH, soie1nnly
| remarked that he would look at the horsensh
| now Another wanted TO know II the 'atrSh
roevred and the cowfsh lowed. Still another' peer
ing raptIv through the glass of the crevalles tank
| called to his teacher to -see the niue hoohhen
fish play merry-go-round and rfng-around-a-ross
as the svery, opalescent creatures continued 'i
cea seless revolutions. a youngster, glued 10 the
rail before the trunksh tank. solemnly announce
that he never knew before that fish could sit
down" as one of the odd, three sided things set
; tied fatty or the gravel Don't 1t look ike Dig
beechnut?" inquired another When tod tnat @ I lIe
natives OF the West Indies prepared theii Loi 90
ing by merely knocking them on tne heau 5qIIe q
meat being inside the hard, triangular exterior. a
widea wa Ike to replied Just like ready mace
serpents are not tnfrequent WaaullLS p!+e pu,, ~
check-aproned visitor of African persuasion pointe9
solemnIy Informed her companion that them S
scales fishes shed 'em like chickens Goes Iea'iie'
! As the classes Of school children, which range
from the small, sightseeing brigades OF the bast
tions from high school and Normal College thin out
toward neon. the luncheon hour squads OF the
Iengnages are overheard Bits of information are
rro1dIy impaired by one stranger another, meet
ing before an interesting tank, such. for instance
as that of the groupers' piled SIX ifPr Ge9P AMI
they?' remarked a man. apropos Of this habit
''Convicts. they calls EN-: and them stripes & qoes
IS the kind they make mock turtle soup Of re-
marked q woman. looking down on the green
turtle soup I've collection of fifty turtles
remarked q businesslike woman to the
Aquarium director. and I'm about tired OF taxing I
care of them. Would you like to have them I'll
spring?' You wouldn't like to have an extra
cadaverous looking individual I've got 10 ieaVe
town for while & an6 d hes @ KIND md 5 oI SICK fo69 B
you'll know all about that. of course. ON yes,
down here they think and. as matter of fact
that is just about the size Of it.