Evening star., 1933-01-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

story, having been collected, classified
and bred long before the World War.
| specimens were to be secured, but
scarcely anywhere else.
It was the ambition then Of every
fish fan" to have couple Of these
| fascinating specimens. The result Of
| it all was that in time their number
| began to increase and the price to 20
! down.
Now they ship them around the
| country in big thermos jugs, dip them
out into aquariums, and sell them like
hot cakes to the fancy" which, as
stated. never tires Of them, and never
will; for 1t Is impossible to conceive of
more interesting fish.
Most fishes just swim around. They
may In time recognize the feeding
hand and come to the surface of the
water for their food, but even then
they show no liking for their human
friend.
The scalare is different.
Once he gets used to his new home.
he begins to display the essential curl
oSity which shows that he is wise above
other fishes. cat this point we may
say that we prefer this plural to fish, "
which is often used for both singular
and plural, but which Is not SO good, it
strikes us, as zone fish," two fishes, .
etc.
If curiosity is the beginning Of wis
dom, the angelfish is a philosopher or
something
His red-rimmed eyes, atop his dis
tensible, pouchlike mouth, actually see
what they look at; we are convinced
Of that.
He even looks out into the room and
notes what goes on there.
| His interest Is perennial, in health,
When Ill he is, like all other fishes, a
| poor fish indeed; for there is nothing
sicker In this world than a suffering
fish. "As sick as dog" the old COM
parison, should give way to "as sick as
fish"
In the scalare the fms not only droop,
as they do in all i'll fishes, but the up
| per wing becomes twisted over on it
| self and furled instead of being spread
out.
This fish has a habit, II frightened
Of lying on its side its fat side, of
| course, in its case), so that one must
beware of taking it for dead. It is
also said that it will dash itself against
the sides OF an aquarium and kill It.
self If excited, but we have seen no
| evidence of this trait.
| WAlSCu ACdlt Ahc a ll4kIlG OF SLnlrSI
| The stairs" part of the descriptive
with poetic as well as scientific lati-
tude, refers to the serrated dorsal fin,
which has toothed or notched edge.
The broad stripes which run across
the body, one even through the eve.
are under the full control of the ami
NAL, which may turn them on or of, as
it were, at will, according to mood.
! There is no prettier sight than half
a dozen of these interesting creatures
floating around languidly, their ordi-
nary pace.
They watt, rather
Yet upon occasion they can dart like
| lightning, as any newcomer to fish cul-
ture can testify, who in his ignorance
may have thought to place few small
guppies in the tank.
There Is a flash Of silver and blue.
and the big mouth Of the angelflsh Gin
such a case somewhat of misnomer)
| engulfs the hapIess Cup.
The angelfish is the most discern
ing, the wisest and the most inquisitive
OF aquarium fishes, one who gives his
human friends the most friendship per
| square inch of fish.
The death of others in the home
aquarium is a matter for regret, but
the passing Of an angelfish Is a per-
sonal sorrow. There is Just that much
! difference.