Evening star., 1936-10-24

It is impossible to take up the study
OF botany without shortly running into
the names of Linnaeus and Asa Gray.
Persons who begin to study bird life
soon are familiar with Audubon and
Wilson.
Those who become interested in aqua
rum fishes find before long that there is
one big name, that of Innes.
William T. Innes Is a Philadelphian, a
printer and publisher by trade, but an
aquarist by first intention.
He began his interest in the old days
of the hey-dey Of the goldfish, when fine
specimens brought hundreds Of dollars
each.
After he had learned everything there
is to be known in this branch of his
hobby he took up the keeping of tropical
fish, and subsequently wrote and pub
lished a good book with clumsy title,
Goldfish Varieties and Tropical Aqua
rum Fishes"
This was in 1917. The book went
through some fifteen editions, at a very
good price, such as usually is charged for
speciality books. The volume became
known as the fish bible"
Beginning with 1882, when the tropical
fish fancy" assumed the proportions of
a craze in the United States, Mr.. Innes
saw the necessity for separate work on
exotic specimens only.
He would not let himself be rushed,
however, but continued editing his mag
azine, The Aquarium, the first issue of
which was published in May, 1882, at
the same time experimenting with color
photography.
1t was not until 1885 that he issued his
Exotic Aquarium Fishes which he had
written, Illustrated, printed and published
by, for and of himself, first of ALL and
then for all who loved what he loved.
Under the title of 1.-THE Complete
Aquarium Book" the older work has now
been published by Halcyon House, New
York, at reduced price. which will ex-
tend its sphere of usefulness.
This book will remain the favorite of
many because of the prominence it gives
the goldfish, its large section devoted to
aquarium plants. and its enunciation of
the general principles of keeping small
fishes in home aquaria.
What many tropical fish fans" do not
seem to realize is that the humble gold
fish is fish as well as any, and that the
basic principles of its successful handling
in the small tank are much the same
as those of the exotic specimens from
India, Brazil and Siam.
The sincere enthusiast who begins to
get interested in tropical fish" as they
usually are called, will find himself fin
ally longing for work devoted entirely
to these pets. but until he feels this urge
he will be able to get great deal of good
out of the new edition of the older book.
1t, therefore, may be recommended to
all persons who, taking up either gold
fish or tropicals as hobby, find them
selves longing for more information.
The desire to know is the beginning
of all serious work, in hobby or business
pursuit. 1t is not until one wants to
know something" that he begins to have
any real appreciation of his subject.
X
1t is unfortunate that revisions of old
works often are not thoroughly done. In
the work under consideration, in an at
tempt to bring the discussion of water
testing, for relative acidity and alkalinity,
up to date, an error has been made in
stating, on page II, that the chemical
used in bringing acid water to an aka
line reaction is washing soda"