Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-18

| and fresh, which feeds the various big
| supply tanks from which the pools and
| the smaller tanks are filled, is run
| from big pipes that are cut off each a
| foot or two above the tank level Fall
| ing through the space the running wa
| ter takes in and carries with 1t more
| or less air, and the disturbance OF the
water in tank, caused by the stream
| plunging into it, helps also in the aera-
| ton OF the water These small catar-
acts are always sounding; in fact, tho
sound of running water is a character
| istic of the place; but in the great
public room of the building this sound
| is heard in forms so subdued that It
scarcely seems to break the stiffness
| and it's absence would be far more
| keenly noted than it's presence is.
| But across this prevailing stiffness
| there come occasionally in the course
| CT the night some odd sounds. Now and
| then is heard the bark of the West In
dian seal, this being noise that is
something between the bark of a dog
and tho grunt of pig. But the West
| Indian seals barking is more likely to
| be done al about o'clock in the after
noon, when it is waiting for its dinner.
| L ne OtE6T scans NiiAiip w va
! their platform and sleep at night, as
the West Indian seal does on his plat
| form, but the harbor seals do not go to
| bed so early, and they may be heard,
| perhaps, splashing about in their pool
The splashing of water is, of course. a
common and characteristic sound in
an aquarium, where there are many
fishes.
|
A sound that is likely to be almost
| startling to one hearing it for the first
time is a loud smack that can be dis
tinctly heard all over the great room.
That smack is made by a striped bass,
and It means that the bass has just
| taken a killie from the surface of the
water and by the edge of the tank. In
| taking the killie in these circumstances
the bass opens and closes its mouth
partly above water and takes in air
and water and killie all together. max
ing in the operation the odd, smacking
sound. This sound may be heard at
intervals through the night showing
that their appetites are good and that
the striped bass have not gone TO bed,
but are up and around.
The same restlessness animates the
fishes in the great central pool There
the shark makes it's ceaseless rounds by
night as we'll as by day. Running slow
ly. waving his tail this way and that
like a skull, with just force enough to
/ give steerage way. he circumnavigates
the pool time after time, hour after hour,
all through the night. A big channel, or
spotted bass, keeps him company, but
the bass does not hug the wall SO per-
sstently as the shark does, but often
cuts across lots.
Il Commonly the big eight-foot sturgeon
;. in his pool may be seen moving slowly
J, about by night as we'll as by day, but in
the autumn he is not very active al
, either time, since he finds the water pref
ty cold and although he may be seen
, moving he is likely to be stretched out
motionless in the water, like great fish
of papier mache. The lively salmon in
!, their pool are as fond of splashing about
in the night time as the day time, and
the big loggerhead in the turtle pool pad
, dies about as briskly at O'Clock in the
morning as at o'clock in the afternoon.
AS to the fishes in the wall tanks
, there are some that bury themselves in
the sand in their tanks. just as they
+, would in a state of Nature. Then there
quiet than others, more inclined just to
stand around, and that do stand around
Other fishes possibly, are less active af-
ter the visitors have gone. Many hshes
are very sensitive The presence of visi-
tors has excited them more or less, and
thew are glad to settle down and stay in
one place for a little while. But these
are exceptions. Generally speaking. the
; active fishes that are commonly lhcliheo
to keep in motion seem to Keep golns
Just the same by night or by day.
Looking in any direction at any hour OF
: the night there may always be seen In
the tanks fishes swimming, and II one
l should look into the lobster and GRAZ
' tank he would be as likely to find the
3 lobster elawing about now as at any
time. and the nervous crabs scouting
= back and forth just the same. The seals
/, go to bed and go to sleep; but practically
l all the rest of the aquarium inhabitants
; day and night seem to be all the same
2 they take no note of the time and many
of them seem never to sleep,
y At intervals through the night ths
! watchmen make their rounds OF the
building. including the corridors back Of
= the exhibition tanks to see that the tanks
!, are all right, and to look after Things II
: general There was a time when theil
presence helped to keep away the rats
but now the tanks are protected by wire
screens. Before the screens were put or
rats had been captured at night in tanks
into which they had jumped after hsh
. small specimens of which they sometimes
managed to land. But though there Il
. no show for the rats there now III th'
way of food, they still come into th'
! building. and after o'clock in the after
i noon a rat, perhaps half as big as cat
NOV he seen scampering across the moor
tho only visitor allowed after the CLOSING
, hour o.o,
Formerly cats were employed to cater
Fthe rats. but the cats developed more IN
terest in the fish than they oio III Inv
: rots and after one of them, stanolhs OF
a the stone coping around central poor
I had lost its balance and fallen INTO .ii'
L water in an effort to scoop out hs,
swimming past, the cats. were panisne.
I ana trans substituted. Traps are nov
= $50. 80. with some occasional assistance
$ sror, the hard clans that are kept IN th'
a fasd room. to be opened and fed 10 th'