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Show LOSES TASTE FOR MOSQUITO Fish Imported to Kill Insect Change Their Diet and Turn to Shrimp. Ctt:xens of various American districts dis-tricts have been endeavoring to rid their neighborhoods of mosquitoes by stocking their ponds with little Imported Import-ed flih which eat the mosquito larvae That the plan has Its drawbacks Is Indicated In-dicated by the following from the Hawaiian Ha-waiian Star: "A war of the races is going on in local fresh water and brackish waters and there has been slaughter In the ranks which threatens threat-ens the extinction of at least one species of Hawaiian fresh water fishes. The tender and toothsome Opu nakea, the little fish which a comparatively short time ago one might buy already cooked and wrapped In leaves in the fish market or from peddling natives, Is becoming so scarce that Its entire disappearance seems to be only a matter mat-ter of time. The frogs and the top-minnows top-minnows are accomplishing Its downfall, down-fall, these voracious enemies greedily devouring its spawn.' "The topmlnnows or mosquito tlsh, as they are called, are thriving amaz-, amaz-, Ingly In the local ponds, but, like the mongoose, have diverted their tastes from the food which It was Intended they should subsist on. The mongoose found chicken more to Its taste than cane rat and the topmlnnow's diet seems to have changed from 'skeeter to shrimp. It Is true that where there Is nothing to eat but mosquito larvae the minnows devour them fast enough, but when shrimps and 'skeeters both figure on the bill of fare both are treated Impartially by the ravenous little fish. "Out Moanalua and KaliW way. In the streams which empty themselves Into the sea and In which shrimps abounded by the million a short time ago, practically none are now to be round. The topmlnnows bave killed them off. In the fish ponds thousands of transparent busks lying along the shore tell the tale of the havoc w rought by the mosquito fish among the opae." |