Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1910-07-09
A TrcKIlsH JOB.

For eleven years the task OF snip.
ping live fish from Bermuda to the
aquarium at Battery Park, New York.
has been successfully performed by
Charles L. Bristol, professor Of biolo-
gy at New York University. The fish,
Ing grounds, q writer In the New York
Sun says, are on the reefs which form
an irregular ring about twenty-five
miles long and twelve miles wide, and
are submerged from ten to twenty
feet below the surface Of the water.
The fishing Is carried on in we'll.
smacks, which are ordinary fishing.
boats with wells sunk In them about
midships. The fish are caught In pots
made Of poultry.fence wire, and pat.
termed after pots made two hundred
years ago of cedar twigs and pal.
metto-leaf fibers. The pots are haul.
ed twice a week.
The headquarters Of Professor Bris.
toll are on Whites Island, at the
mouth Of Hamilton harbor. His party
meets the incoming fishermen. selects
good specimens Of the land trans.
fers them to its boat. At headquar.
tiers the fish are again transferred to
large cars, six feet wide and twelve
feet long made Of wire gauze and
wood, painted with copper paint. They
are submerfled In the water.
The fish are kept in quarantine at
least a week before shipping. The
reason for this Is that II any fish Is
bruised or scared 1t will die within
three days. About one.fourth Of the
fish bought are lost In quarantine.
but the fishes shipped are In perfect
condition.
While in quarantine the fish are fed
but once week. They are never fed
within three days Of shipment. The
reason for this Is that they are sus.
ceptible to sea.sickness. This Is q
fact that was costly to Professor
Bristol until he learned It.
When the passage from Bermuda to
New York used to take four days. he
fed the fish out Of the kindness Of
his heart; but he found that 40 soon
a. he struck rough weather they
spurned their food. and II the food
remained In the tanks II caused the
death Of all the hsh.
When shipping.days come the nsh
are transferred to large galvanized
iron tanks holding from ten to thirty
barrels Of water. which are placed on
board Q small tugboat and carried to
the side Of the steamship. where they
are quickly hoisted to the cattle deck.
There they are blocked snugly against
possible storm. Into the tank ID
poured q continuous stream Of salt
water. All the tanks are covered with
wire netting to prevent the escape OF
the fsh.
When New York Is reached. the
tanks are placed on carts and drawn
quickly to the aquarium. The fish
are then placed in the tanks there
and fed for the first time In ave days.
Here another valuable point In con.
nection with the fast becomes evi.
dent. II animals Of any kind are put
into confinement hungry. they soon
become accustomed to that confine'
ment and will take food In II. but II
they are put into the confinement
when not hungry. they will rebel
osainst It and refuse to take food.
The work IL 50 we'll systematized
now that the loss in transportation
rarely exceeds one In nifty. This Il
the more remarkable when It Is req
lized that the boat leaves the warm
waters Of the Gulf stream about 200
miles before It reaches port. and the
ocean temperature then suddenly
drops 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
The precautions which Professor
Bristol takes to overcome the sudden
change In temperature are the secret
Of his success. which he has never d.
vulged.