Timmins High and Vocational School - Porcupine Quill Yearbook (Timmins, Ontario Canada)

Page 99 text:

2 The PORCUPINE QUILL w ' Qburrn' Hn' 'i Kingston, Ontario Incorporated by Royal Charter 1841 Situated in the oldest city in Ontariog annual registration about 3,5005 25 modern buildingsg health insurance provided during sessiong placement oflice gives free services to graduates. DEGREE COURSES in Arts. Commerce, Applied Science, Medicine-regular winter session opening September 23. EXTRAMURAL WORK in Arts and Commerce up to 4 courses yearly. It is possible to get a pass degree in Arts or to complete three years of an Honours Course through extramural and Summer School study. SCHOLARSHIPS AND PRIZES available 1935-19363 150 in all, including: Fifteen Ontario Matriculation Scholarships ranging from S120 to S370 Apply before May 1: examinations in June. Write to the Registrar for illustrated booklet, calendars and information. ft I 'r 4 b lr 1: rue SI N cos-muy :g OBERT LIMITED It ji for 1, u 0 l Ig Radios and Furniture Household Appliances 'r I: Ranges-Coal and Electric 'r 'I . . 1: Electric Washers Electric Ironers 'r it in .I Terms: 10 p.c. Down 'r ll Balance in 10 months-No Interest 'r ll Q: D . . . 1: Phone Nos. 944 and 945 35 Third Ave., Tlmnnns 7: lr I r le

Page 98 text:

73 - The PORCUPINE QUILL . My Scrapbook I remember, oh so well, how I came to start my scrapbook- I had received two very pretty scenes and since it was impossible to crowd more on the walls of my room, I began to rack my brain for some solution. Suddenly the idea came to me-why not keep a scrapbook? The result is that I have four. My first two books are divided into de- partments under the headings: Scenery, Babies, Poems, and Pot-Pourri. The last two books are utterly without class divisions. I put into them any picture that appeals to me. Not long ago I made one of my most precious additions to the book-the picture of some adorable kittens and puppies' in wicker baskets. They look so soft and cud- dlesome that I wish they were alive. although my mother d0esn't. She keeps thinking of the task of piloting them up and down our stairs. A scrapbook is also a source of education. From the pictures in mine I have learned the names and locations of more places than I learned at school. I know something of what people in other lands look like and the great beauty of the world smiles at me from its pages: for part of my scrapbook is a sort of photograph gallery. Within me there is an underlying hope that I may some day see at least a few of these wonders, But, now, while waiting, I have the joy of looking at them in my books, and dreaming of what may be. ENNIE HONKALA Aquaria and Aquarium Pets If an aquarium census were taken, the total of homes possessing aquaria would be sur- prisingly high. This total could be greatly increased if more people knew how easy it is to keep an aquarium. Fish are very inter- esting and have many advantages over other pets, for they are neither dirty, nor noisy and they have no odour which we can detect through the water. There is no gTeat worry in taking care of an aquarium. It is true that fish should have regular attention, but in the case of an enforced absence, we mal' return with the certainty that our pets are still alive and well. The study of the life habits of fishes adds a great deal to Ol-LT knowledge of natural history. An aquarium is thus instructive as Well as ornamental. An aquarium should be so constructed that a large surface of water will be exposed to the air. This is important, as the fish depend upon the air dissolved in the water for breathing. It is advisable to have Plants in the aquariiun, for, not only do they add to the appearance and give naturalness to the aquarium, but they give off OXYESH for the fish. The fish in turn exhale carbon dioxide 'to be absorbed by the plants. Plants give off oxygen only when exposed to sun- light, therefore the surface of water exposed to the air must. be extensive enough to store up a supply of air sumcient for the fish to use during the night. The plants also help to keep the sand fresh and if enough snails are kept in the aquarium, 'these little scav- engers will clean the glass sid-es and eat up excess food and other refuse. With an aquarium balanced in this way the water needs to be changed very seldom. The tem- perature maintained in an aquarium is also an important factor for the health of its oc- cupants. Goldfish thrive in temperatures ranging from fifty-five to seventy degrees, but tropical fish require temperatures from sixty-five to eighty degrees. The Chinese and Japanese have originated many beautiful variations of the original goldfish stock. The common goldfish is well known and is probably the hardiest of aquariiun fishes. Generations of goldfish have lived in crystal prisons hardly big enough for them to turn around in. Of the fancy goldfish, the Comet and the Fantail show the most remarkable tail and fin for- mations. The Telescope g01diSh has large protruding eyes, as his name implies, and is brilliantly coloured. The Lionhead, Shu- bunkin and Veiltail are other variations of fancy goldfish which are becoming increas- ingly popular. In recent years great interest has been aroused by the introduction of tropical fish. About one hundred varieties can be procured

Page 100 text:

74 1+v. . The PORCUPINE QUILL T rather easily. These fish are called tropi- cals because they are natives of tropical countries, the tropics of Asia, Africa and the Americas. They are somewhat smaller than goldfish -and at first sight are not as flashy. In strong sunlight, however, they sparkle with an irridescence which goldfish lack. Their habits are much more interesting than those of goldfish and a few of their domestic relationships are so weird that the average person scoffs when told the plain truth about some of these interesting pets. The following are descriptions of some of the varieties of Tropicals which the writer has observed in his own tanks The corn- moner varieties fall under the following gen- eral headings:-Live-'bearers iviviparousl, Bubble-nest builders, Cichlids, Barbs, Da- nios and Chanacins. Of the live-bearers, the guppyi are the commonest and best known. The males are less than an inch long, of brilliant rainbow colouring with black spots, no two marked exactly alike, the females are longer, bulkier and dull silver-coloured. The next best are the platyi or moons, which are ultramarine, gold-yellow, copper-red, p1u'e red, black, or hybrid in colour. Of the helleri, the Mexican swordtails are the most interesting. The longitudinal red stripe on the green body changes to a yellow and black stripe as 15 passes into the tail and although the tail of the female is the ordinary fantail, that of the male becomes a long-drawn-out pointed streamer. The characteristic of the bubble nest builders is that in spawning time the male builds a nest composed of bubbles formed from -a mucous generated in his mouth at this period. The male shows off before his mate, and as she spawns, he takes the eggs one by one into his mouth, attaches a bubble, and floats them up into the fairy nest. In a few days the eggs hatch and the young fish begin to wrlggle. Every once in a while a baby fish falls out of the nest, whereupon the male takes it in his mouth, attaches a bubble, and floats it back into the 2-41112510 cradle. This goes on until the young ish are able to care for themselves. During this whole period the male will not allow any fish to come near his nest and he asserts hiS position as the head of his household by driving the mate away whenever she comes near. The paradise fish was one of the first tropicals of this type to be imported. Its colours vary according to the tempera- tures of the water and the state of excite- ment of the fish. They are generally dark in colour, dull red stripes against a blue back- groundg in prime condition the ends of their tails sparkle with a brilliant metallic blue. Their tins and tails are quite long and can be spread at will. The gourami, less showy fishes, come under this classification. The bettas also belong to this group. They come in various brilliant colors and have extreme- ly long fins and tails. One type is the fa- mous cambodia which is bred by the Siamese 1 ii f I47 fialfe 6 A s 1' T ff jf ,ff . 2:1 ,rf . ' ' ':-iff! f 'fi cj fulf X msg NZ! 3 -gg ,845-9. nobility: they match the males in fights, much as the Mexican matches gamecocks, The cichlids, from Africa and South Amer- ica, are noted for their pugnacity and for guarding their young. One very interesting variety, the mouth-breeder, takes her own eggs after fertilization into her very large mouth and carries them around wherever she goes. As water circulation is required for most fish eggs, this is supplied through the action of the gills. In a few days the eggs hatch, but the young fish still keep to the mo-ther's mouth. When they get older, they swim out occasionally to investigate their surroundings, but at the slightest sign of danger, they rush back again into the ma- ternal jaw. As fish eggs and young fish are among the choicest tid-bits of fish-food, and as most fish are cannibalistic, it is a wonder that the mother is not tempted to swallow a.