The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-07-14
DINNER Time AT
A GREAT AQUARIUM
Over 1000 Submarine Cap.
tives in the New York
Institution.
REPRESENTS 2la SPECIES
Nearly 5000 People Are on Hand
Daily to Watch the Feeding
of This Enormous
Collection.
REPRESENTS 2I3 SPECIES

Daily to Watch the Feeding
of This Enormous
Collection.
st. Louis Republic: The New York
Aquarium just now is one of the city's
most popular n interesting show
places. Over 1000 submarine captives.
representing 213 different species OF
various sizes, strange and unfamiliar
in shape and brilliant in coloring, dis
port themselves in the 100 wall tanks
n spacious floor pools, forming a
never-changing panorama of deep-sea
life, the largest to be seen anywhere in
the world.
Nearly 4.454 daily, or, in round num-
bers, 1,625,770 persons the last year,
passed through its doors to study and
view these live wonders Of nature. The
attendance is probably not equaled by
any other institution in the world. The
present director, MI. C. H. Townsend,
has carried on important scientific re-
searches for the government. especially
in the fishing and fur sealing indus
tries. He is recognized as the leading
authority on these and kindred sub
jects relating to marine life.
Two years ago the aquarium was
turned over to the management of the
New York Geological society. Many
innovations LAY been introduced,
which now afford the most palatial and
up-to-date home for exhibiting fishes
In existence.
One Of the busiest places in the
aquarium which is not generally seen
by visitors is the fishes kitchen, Here,
from morning until the middle of the
afternoon the steward is kept hard at
work preparing the daily menu for the
vast crowd of piscatorial boarders. All
OF the food is first class. and is kept
Il F~~~IL -l ~~1-5 - - ~S,-@ too 0Hact nm
when ready for use is placed in var
lous tin receptacles. Several attend
ants devote the best part Of the after
noon to serving out the rations.
The food is varied to suit the size of
the specimen, and consists of beef
(cod and herring mostly) and CLAIMS.
All the fish in the markets are headed
and eviscerated before US. The cod and
herring are halved, the backbone deftly
removed with one sweep of the knife.
The rest of the flesh is cut into strips
Of different lengths. In summer a
great deal of live food, such as min
nows; marine angle worms, small crabs
and crustaceans, such as sand hoppers,
Is used, being better for the collection
in general. In winter marketable food
stuffs are largely consumed A special
collector is kept busy the year round
~foraging in adjacent bays n ocean
shores to keep the fishes larder we'll
stocked. The average board bill for
the aquarium's guests for a month is
800.
Some New Arrivals.
Among the chief specimens Of the
aquarium at present, from it's size as
well as from the fact that it is almost
new to the general eye, is the curious
sea Maa COW. or manatee, from Lake Worth,
captivity. The animals in their
wild habitat are very shy and
cautious, disappearing Immediately
uLon approach. Owing to their pecu-
liar tropical habits, they are given spe
cial treatment and care, such as a suit
and 70 degrees, for the water of their
pool and a sufficient quantity Of nour-
fishing food. Eel grass II lettuce
leaves strongly tempt their appetite,
The former. however. is used in more
abundance when o~btainable; a bucket
full is usually given for a meal.
The manatee is a female, eight and
one-half feet long, weighing 600
pounds, and was captured by "Alliga-
tor joe at Palm Beach in a large drag
made for the purpose. Numerous sat-
tempts We're made at different times
for a month, and sever manatees
escaped and broke through the net be-
fore n was finally obtained. The fe-
male was placed about June of the last
Il you Al q lAC-1A1lCoH pun, l"SA1Sy 4CCs
long by thirteen feet vide. with 3
depth of four feet of water. The latter
Is renewed nightly.
The feeding of the animal is watched
with unlsua interest by the visitors
Mr.. w. De Nyse, with a suspended
manatee to raise her head and neck
completely out Of the water. y
Seacows have a peculiar structure
having no front teeth, hind limbs OF
hip bones, but a huge beaverlike tail
Their bones are said to be the heaviest
known among mammals. Che best
view Of the creature is obtained wher
the water is drained from the pool for
tank cleaning, when the whole form is
strikingly outlined against the white
thing. The home of the seacow in the
United States IS limited to the Indian
River lagoons of the east coast Of Flor.
ida. Other species are found in varioua
tropical regions. In captivity they live
seldom longer than five or six months
but the present specimen has survived
nine months.
The care and express transportation
on such a large individual is consider
able, and almost equals its sale value
A huge tank was constructed and filled
with just enough water to float the
massive body.
The seahorse is probably the onl,
fish with a p%rehensile tail. He uses this
In a monkeylike fashion, constantly
%anchoring himself to weeds, stones and
sticks. The position of the body is
usually vertical, especially in swim
ming. They are found all along the
American coast, from Cape Cod tc
South Carolina. There is, however, one
remarkable feature about them, little
known generally. Contrary to the rest
Of the animal world, the eggs while
Matching are carried by the male in a
pouch. n the young are said to re-
turn to this for shelter. Hundreds
probably thousands, of baby indi-
viduals are thus transported aroun by
the paternal emil of the family in
his strange incubating pocket, while
Mrs. Seahorse, released Of care, roams
fancy free.
The clever n of the two
little harbor seals from the Maine
coast, come in for a great share of the
popular interest. One OF these was
shown at the Worlds Fair at st. Louis.
They are hearty eaters, and devour
r. afrna of Cod and horrfru fov tho3r