The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-09-16

One OF the Alameda's passengers
yesterday was Albin Scale. formerly of
Bishop Museum, whose mission is de-
seribed above.
Mr.. Scale brought his mosquito-de-
stroying fish through all right. They
were landed from the Alameda Sin
first-cIass order and condition. as
President Pinkham of the Board of
Health yesterday afternoon informed
IAN Advertiser reporter.
trfbution of the fish D. L. Van Dine,
entomologist of the u. S. Experiment
Station, who has taken a steady inter-
est in the mosquito campaign from the
start. assisted Mr.. Scale in depositing
a portion of the killifsh-as their popu-
lar name goes--at Kapio1ani Park and
a greater portion at Moanalua.
And no time was lost by the mali
inini fishes in getting to work. Those
put into the Moanalua ponds instantly
on striking the strange water vigorous
ly dashed after their prey. 1t was
sight. the way thy gobbled up every
nucleus of larvae.
Mr. Scale and Mr.. Van Dine will
look over the islands for the waters i'm
which these fish may be most advan-
fageousIy placed both for increase and
for destruction of mosquito larvae"
Mr.. Pinkham stated.
Mr.. Van Dine, having sought for fur
ther information on the interesting i'm
portation, showed the reporter speci-
ments of three species of the fish pre-
served in walls. They are about an
inch and a half long, grayish in color
with variant markings. Their respec-
tive scientific names are Gambusia af-
fnis. Mollienisia latipinna and Fundu- |
lus heteroclitus.
"Yes the notwithstanding fish came |
through in fine shape" Mr.. Van Dine |
said, land have already eaten thou !
sands of the young of our mosquitoes. |
I watched them eat several hundreds
myself and am confident that if they |
can be established they are what we
require.
'sOf all natural enemies of mosquitoes
certain fish are the only ones that 1t
Is practical to consider in the campaign |
against this pest. Some four years ago,
when the work was first begun on the
local problem, it was found that we had
only the goldfish-with the possible ex-
ception of certain oopus or gobies-
which fed upon mosquito larvae. and
the matter was taken UP with DR.. Da-
vid Starr Jordan, the American author
ity on fishes.
THE matter was followed up care
fully and when Dr. Jordan was down &;
here recently, on the sad mission re-
lated to Mrs. Stanford's death, it was
further discussed and definite arrange ,
ments were made whereby an assistant
of the United States Fish Commission s
could undertake the work if the Terri :
tory would see that funds, simply for :
the expenses of the undertaking. were
The matter was present {
ed to the Legislature with the endorse
ment of Governor Carter and the sum 7
Of $500 appropriated for the work.
"Dr. Jordan. on being notified of this e
action on the part of the Territorial
Government, selected Mr.. Alvin Scale | e
a man of wide experience with the fish | u
OF tropical waters, to undertake the o
work. The highly successful introduce
ton of the fish has proved the wis e
dom of DR.. Jordan's choice.
'sMr Scale some two months ago "
started from Stanford University on L
his journey of collecting the fish and
1T once bumped into the rigid quaran- is