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diff --git a/old/53409-0.txt b/old/53409-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c70ee6a..0000000 --- a/old/53409-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3114 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ocean Gardens. The History of the Marine -Aquarium, by H. Noel Humphreys - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Ocean Gardens. The History of the Marine Aquarium - and the best methods now adopted for its establishment and preservation. - -Author: H. Noel Humphreys - -Release Date: October 30, 2016 [EBook #53409] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OCEAN GARDENS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -[Illustration: PLATE V. - - 1. Laurencia pinnatifolia. - 2. Polysphonia parasitica. - 3. Ulva latissima. - 4. Rhodymenia lacinata. - 5. Gracilaria confervoides. - 6. Codium bursa. - 7. Iridæa edulis. - 8. Zonaria parvula. - 9. Ectocarpus tomentosus. - 10. Corallina officinalis.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - OCEAN GARDENS: - The History of the Marine Aquarium, - - AND - THE BEST METHODS NOW ADOPTED FOR ITS ESTABLISHMENT - AND PRESERVATION. - - BY - - H. NOEL HUMPHREYS, - - AUTHOR OF “BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS;” - “BRITISH MOTHS AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS;” - “INSECT CHANGES;” ETC. - - [Illustration] - - LONDON: - SAMPSON LOW, SON, AND CO., 47 LUDGATE HILL. - MDCCCLVII. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LONDON: - THOMAS HARRILD, PRINTER, SALISBURY SQUARE, FLEET STREET; - AND SILVER STREET, FALCON SQUARE. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - [Illustration] - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - INTRODUCTION 1 - - CHAPTER II. - THE FLOOR OF THE OCEAN 9 - - CHAPTER III. - THE AQUARIUM 19 - - CHAPTER IV. - THE VEGETATION OF THE MARINE AQUARIUM 39 - - CHAPTER V. - THE ZOÖPHYTES 51 - - CHAPTER VI. - THE MOLLUSCS, &c. 64 - - CHAPTER VII. - THE ASCIDIANS, BARNACLES, SEA-CUCUMBERS, NAKED - MOLLUSCS, SEA-WORMS, &c. 86 - - CHAPTER VIII. - THE FISH AND CRUSTACEANS OF THE AQUARIUM 95 - - CHAPTER IX. - CONCLUSION 106 - - [Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LIST OF PLATES. - - - [Illustration] - - PLATE I. - - SEA-WEEDS. - - NO. PAGE - - 1. _Delesseria sanguinea_ The Crimson Delesseria 45 - 2. _Punctaria latifolia_ The Broad-leaved Punctaria 45 - 3. _Chordaria flagelliformis_ The Whip-like Chordaria 45 - 4. _Vaucheria submarina_ The Submarine Vaucheria 45 - 5. _Hildenbrandtia rubra_ The Red Hildenbrandtia 45 - - PLATE II. - - SEA-WEEDS. - - 1. _Bangia fusco-purpurea_ The Dark-purple Bangia 46 - 2. _Codium tomentosum_ The Closely-haired Codium 46 - 3. _Bryopsis plumosa_ The Feathery Bryopsis 41, 46 - 4. _Callithamnion arbuscula_ The Tree-like Callithamnion 46 - 5. _Leathesia Berkleyi_ Berkley’s Leathesia 46 - 6. _Laminaria phyllitis_ The Leafy Laminaria 46 - - PLATE III. - - 1. _Porphyra vulgaris_ The Common Porphyra 46 - 2. _Dumantia filiformis_ The Slender Dumantia 46 - 3. _Asperococcus Turneri_ Turner’s Asperococcus 47 - 4. _Rytiphlæa pinastris_ The Pine-like Rytiphlæa 47 - 5. _Chrysymenia rosea_ The Rose-coloured Chrysymenia 47 - 6. _Peyssonetia Dubyi_ Duby’s Peyssonetia 47 - 7. _Chordaria divaricata_ The Minutely-branching - Chordaria 47 - 8. _Ectocarpus siliculosus_ The Podded Ectocarpus 46 - 9. _Nemaleon multifida_ The Many-cleft Nemaleon 46 - 10. _Nytophyllum punctatum_ The Spotted Nytophyllum 46 - - PLATE IV. - - SEA-WEEDS. - - 1. _Chondrus crispus_ The Curly Chondrus 41, 47 - 2. _Gigartina acicularis_ The Needle-shaped or Pointed - Gigartina 47 - 3. _Ceramium strictum_ The Pink Ceramium 47 - 4. _Zonaria atomaria_ The Speckled Zonaria 47 - 5. _Plocamium coccineum_ The Scarlet Plocamium 47 - - PLATE V. - - SEA-WEEDS. - - 1. _Laurencia pinnatifolia_ The Pinnate-leaved Laurencia 42, 48 - 2. _Polysphonia parasitica_ The Parasitic Polysphonia 48 - 3. _Ulva latissima_ The Broad-leaved Ulva 48 - 4. _Rhodymenia lacinata_ The Lace-edged Rhodymenia 42, 48 - 5. _Gracilaria confervoides_ The Sponge-like Gracilaria 49 - 6. _Codium bursa_ The Purse-like Codium 49 - 7. _Iridæa edulis_ The Eatable Iridea 48 - 8. _Zonaria parvula_ The Lesser Zonaria 48 - 9. _Ectocarpus tomentosus_ The Hairy Ectocarpus 49 - 10. _Corallina officinalis_ The Common Corallina 49 - - PLATE VI. - - SEA-ANEMONES, STAR-FISH, ETC. - - 1. _Geniaster equestres_ The Small Scarlet Star-fish 101 - 2. _Asterina gibbosa_ The Gibbous Star-fish 101 - 3. _Palmipes membranaceus_ The Bird’s-foot Star 101 - 4. _Cribella oculata_ The Eyed Star-fish 101 - 5. _Palæmon serratus_ The Common Prawn 98 - 6. _Edwardsia vestita_ The Clothed Sea-Anemone 54 - - PLATE VII. - - 1. _Actinia clavata_ The Nailed Sea-Anemone 55 - 2. _Pennatula phosphorea_ The Phosphoric Sea-pen 61 - 3. A Group of _Ascidians_ 86 - 4. A Shell of the Common - Whelk, on which are two - specimens of _Balanus_ The Acorn-shell 88 - - PLATE VIII. - - 1 & 2. _Actinia The Carnation-like Sea-Anemone - mesembrianthemum_ of different colours 57 - 3. _Actinia gemmacea_ The Gemmed Sea-Anemone 55 - 4. _Lucernaria auricula_ The Auricula-like Lucernaria 59 - 5. _Virgularia mirabilis_ The Rod-like Sea-Pen 62 - - PLATE IX. - - 1. _Actinia anguicoma_ The Serpent-haired Sea-Anemone 57 - 2. _Alyconium digitatum_ The Many-fingered Alyconium 61 - 3. _Echinus sphæra_ The Common Sea-Egg 103 - 4. _Cucumis hyalinus_ The Glassy Sea-Cucumber 89 - - PLATE X. - - 1. A group of _Serpula - contortuplicata_ The Twisted Serpula 87 - 2. _Actinia crassicornis_ The Thick-horned Sea-Anemone 57 - - PLATE XI. - - A Design for a Plainly-mounted Aquarium 34 - - PLATE XII. - - A Design for an Aquarium mounted in handsome Rustic-work 34 - - [Illustration] - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - OCEAN GARDENS; - - OR, - - GLIMPSES BENEATH THE WATERS. - - ――◀▶―― - - CHAPTER I. - - INTRODUCTION. - - -What the vast majority of our migratory flocks of summer and autumnal -idlers generally do and think at the sea-side, cannot be better -exemplified than by reference to the clever sketches which are found -occupying entire pages of our illustrated periodicals and newspapers, -during the season of marine migration. But the habits and customs of the -annual shoal of visitors to our watering-places, may be still more -intimately comprehended through the medium of the sprightly essays which -generally accompany those truly artistic delineations. - -And is there really nothing better to do—no better _regime_ to go -through, than the daily repetition of the monotonous programme of -entertainment thus playfully described and ridiculed? - -Surely the visitor at the sea-side is in reach of something more -pleasant and profitable than such a routine! - -Do not the sublime aspects of the ocean—the sound of its deep, ceaseless -voice—the eternal on-coming of its waves, now in calm undulations, and -now in hurtling wildness against the base of those cliffs whose white -brows are wreathed with perennial flowers—suggest other matters both for -reflection and amusement? Surely the very whispering of the breeze that -has travelled so far over that vast moving surface of the fathomless -deep, and which seems muttering of its mysteries, while laden with its -sweet saline odour—“_ce parfum acre de la mer_,” as Dumas has termed -it—might lead us towards other and higher trains of thought. Surely -those voices in the wind, mingling with the strange murmur of the waves -as they break in cadenced regularity upon the shore, rouse, in the -feelings of those who hear them for the first time, or after a long -absence, strange sensations of admiration, and curiosity, and wonder. -But no; to most of the idle crowd those sights and sounds are invisible -and unheard. Their ears have not been tutored to understand the -word-music of Nature’s language, nor to read the brightly-written signs -on its mighty page. - -To appreciate Nature, as well as Art, the mind requires a special -education, without which the eye and the ear perceive but little of the -miracles passing before them. To the eye of the common observer, the -farthest field in the landscape is as green as the nearest, in the scene -outspread before him; while to the practised glance of the accomplished -artist, every yard of distance lends its new tone of colour to the tints -of the herbage, till, through a thousand delicate gradations, the -brightest verdure at last mingles with the atmospheric hue, and is -eventually lost in the pervading azure. If, then, the ordinary aspects -of Nature may not be fully interpreted by the untutored eye, how should -her more hidden mysteries be felt or understood, or even guessed at? -And, in fact, they are not, or the visitor to the sea-side, looking over -that wide tremulous expanse of water that covers so many mysteries, -would feel, like the child taken for the first time within the walls of -a theatre, an intense anxiety to raise the dark-green curtain which -conceals the scene of fairy wonders he is greedily longing to behold and -enjoy. But the lounger at the sea-side does not guess at the wonders -concealed by the dark-green curtain of the ocean, and, consequently, -never dreams of wishing to peep beneath its waving folds, to gratify a -curiosity which, in fact, does not exist. - -When, however, the language of Nature is learnt, and her voice is no -longer a confused murmur to the ear, but becomes a brilliant series of -eloquent words, full of deep and exquisite meaning, then the student -will _see_ as well as _hear_; but till then, in his intercourse with -Nature, he is both deaf and blind. “Speak,” said Socrates to a youth; -“say something, that I may _see_ you.” Socrates saw not a silent man; -and those who do not hear and understand Nature’s language, cannot see -her wondrous beauty. - -The mill-like repetition of worldly affairs brings on a torpor of mind, -in regard to all without the narrow circle of selfish interests and -easily purchased pleasures, which it is very difficult to wake up from. -But I would warn the suffering victims of that baneful, though secret, -presence; for when the consciousness of its existence is aroused, the -first step will have been taken towards its eradication. - -I would remind all those suffering from inactivity of mind, of the -wholesome dread of that kind of mental torpor entertained by the -Gymnosophists; who, as Apuleus tells us, when they met at meals, -required that each should be able to narrate the particulars of some -discovery, or original thought, or good action, or it was deemed that he -did not exhibit a sufficient reason for being allowed to consume a share -of the viands, and he was consequently excluded from the repast. Were -each of our most idle sea-side loungers to impose upon himself the -necessity of a discovery, or an original thought, before he considered -himself entitled to dine, that torpor, so deadening to the natural -capacities of his mind, would soon give way to a state of mental -activity, which, were it only from the brightness of the contrast, would -be found highly agreeable, to say nothing of its advantages, or of the -elevating and refining trains of thought to which it would necessarily -give rise. - -I know of nothing more likely to stimulate the mind to healthy exertion, -and take it out of the immediate track of common interests and -pleasures, the monotony of which is so oppressive, than the study of -natural history in some of its least explored fields, especially its -extraordinary development in connection with the waters of the ocean. -And yet, how few there are who seek that charming mode of dissipating -the dreary monotony of social life, such as it is made by the routine of -fashion or habit! A popular love of natural history, even in its best -known divisions, is, in fact, of quite recent growth. Indeed, the very -existence of such a science has been, till recently, altogether ignored -by our great national seats of learning. The earnest investigators, who -have done so much to lay bare its wonders, were either openly ridiculed, -or treated with but small respect—as useless dreamers upon very small -and insignificant matters. The very names of such true labourers in the -mine of science as our glorious old naturalist Ray, or his follower -Pulteney, or the indefatigable Ellis, the first detector of the true -nature of Zoöphytes, who measured pens with the giant Linnæus, received -no academic honour; and those of their undiscouraged successors have -been rarely heard, either in our universities or among our general -public, till the vast discoveries of geology and other allied branches -of science, in our own times, have at last aroused attention to their -importance. - -Any popular knowledge of that branch of natural history which especially -concerns our seas and shores, is indeed of still more recent date. The -subject, in fact, is but even now beginning to develop itself beneath -the pens of an enterprising band of marine naturalists, with such -leaders as Johnston, Harvey, John Edward Gray, the indefatigable Gosse, -and the revered shade of the lamented Forbes at their head. - -A truly popular knowledge even of those more accessible regions of our -woods and fields, is but little more ancient; for, till Gilbert White -had made the story of such knowledge as attractive as romance, in his -“Natural History of Selborne,” few guessed what an arena of ever new -interests and discoveries it presented. - -Through the fascinating interpretation of the good Gilbert, many now -understand the attraction of those branches of natural history which he -so curiously investigated; but few are willing to admit that it is as -easy to make the natural features of some obscure fishing-village, with -no herbage on its bare rocks, and no bush, no blade of grass, no bird to -be seen or heard, equally interesting; yet I can assure them, that by -lifting even the mere border of that green curtain of the ocean, or by -awaiting its unveilings, as the retiring tide bears back its folds, a -host of wonders will be revealed, sufficient to rouse the most torpid -mind of the most inactive idler to their earnest and deeply-inquiring -contemplation, and arouse him to their devout admiration, as among the -most exquisite miracles of that creative and sustaining Power which is -the source of their existence. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - THE FLOOR OF THE OCEAN. - - -The wonders of the ocean floor do not reveal themselves to vulgar eyes. -As the oracle was inaudible to sacrilegious listeners, and as none but -poetic ears heard the cadenced beating of the feet that danced to -unearthly music, near the fountain haunted by the Muses of classic -fable—so, none but the initiated can see the myriad miracles that each -receding tide reveals on the ocean floor. The initiation, however, is -not mysterious; there are no dark rites to observe—no Herculean labours -to accomplish, before entering upon the noviciate, which at once opens a -large area of unexpected pleasures, and an ample field for admiration -and investigation. A few elementary works carefully studied, or even -this present little book attentively perused, would supply the first -helps towards _seeing_, at all events, a portion of the “wonders of the -shore,” as the brilliant author of “Glaucus” has eloquently termed those -revelations of the retiring deep. - -It is the _seeing_ that is everything. But let none despair of acquiring -that power. “The name of the Devonshire squire, Colonel George Montague” -(thus wrote the late Professor Edward Forbes), “might have become one of -the greatest in the whole range of British science, had his whole career -been devoted to marine physiology;” and that mainly because, from a -sincere devotion to a favourite pursuit of his leisure, he acquired the -art of _seeing_—an art sought by so few, though open to all who will -earnestly seek it. - -Each department of science requires a separate and distinct kind of -sight. The astute merchant deciphers at a glance the precise state of -the most intricate accounts, in the midst of thousands of seemingly -conflicting figures; but of the thousand interesting and wonderful -things concerning the little beetle that crosses his path in his country -walk, he is incapable of seeing any single particle; while the despised -entomologist, whom he has contemptuously observed turning over the -stones at the road-side, and peering curiously beneath them, could tell -him a tale of wonder, could preach him a sermon upon that tiny type, -such as would surely wake up many latent and unsuspected powers in his -mind, that would enable him to _see_ wonders where all had previously -been blank, and teach him that there are things well worthy of -investigation beyond the region of money-making, and the attractive but -narrow circle distinguished by the fascinating characters, £ _s._ _d._ - -Those who cannot _see_ Nature, who cannot see more than an unclean thing -in the little creeping beetle, are like one gazing at a carved Egyptian -record, who perceives, in the hieroglyphic scarabæus, simply the -sculptured figure of a beetle, and no more—they are in a state of -“Egyptian darkness” as regards one of the highest and most enchanting -fields of human research. But to those who have acquired this rare -though easy art, and learned to _see_ Nature, even to a moderate extent -(for in that art are an infinite number of degrees and gradations), the -aspect of the ocean floor must present an appearance as beautiful and -strange, and seemingly as supernatural, as the wildest imagination could -depicture. - -When poets would travel, in their inventive flights, to other floating -and revolving worlds than ours, they describe rosy skies, instead of -azure, and trees like branching crystals, with jewel-like fruits -glittering on every stem. They present us with pictures, in short, in -which all the ordinary aspects of our planet are reversed, or -metamorphosed, in the region of their invention; but in their most -fanciful pictures they do not surpass in strangeness the wonders of the -world beneath the sea. - -On the land, we have, as the ordinary aspect of Nature, the green -herbaceous mantle of the earth below the eye, and the azure sky above; -while a spectator, standing beneath the water on the ocean floor, would -see these features more than reversed: he would see above him a liquid -atmosphere of green, and below, an herbage of red or of purple hue, -exhibiting strange yet exquisite forms, such as no terrestrial -vegetation displays. Roseate shrubs of jointed stone, and arborets of -filmy glass, and creatures full of active, energetic life, whose forms -are stranger still, both in structure and in appearance; mere worms, -whose colours are gorgeous as the tints of the butterfly’s wing, or the -peacock’s tail, or the humming-bird’s breast. - -What scenery is formed by that translucent and miniature forest of -_Delesseria sanguinea_, how lovely in its tones of soft rich crimson; -and those fan-like shrubs, in crisply graceful tufts, the bright and -singular _Padina pavonia_; and the tree-like masses of _Callithamnion -arbuscula_, and the delicate _Ptilota plumosa_, and the purple-tinted -_Corallines_, forming those - - “Arborets of jointed stone.” - -And then the high waving fronds of the grandly graceful _Porphyra -vulgaris_, the deep carmine of the _Iridæa edulis_, the nacreous tinges -of the _Chondrus crispus_, and the blood-red of the splendid _Rhodymenia -lacinata_, with its embroidered and lace-like edges; these, with the -gorgeous tufts of the rich purple _Bangia_, and other objects which form -the elements of still life in a submarine landscape, surely cannot be -surpassed, either for magnificence of colour or variety of structure. - -But to these features must be added others more extraordinary—forms that -the elder naturalists imagined to be links between the animal and -vegetable creation, but which are now known to have no affinity whatever -with plants, though they exhibit the appearance of expanded flowers of -various hues, displaying the forms of the Carnation, the Anemone, the -Mesembryanthemum, and other beautiful flowers whose names they bear. -These curiously beautiful Zoöphytes, the wonderful _Actiniæ_, exhibit -every tone of colour, from purple and scarlet, to green and white, and -might be taken in their picturesquely-placed groups for rare exotic -flowers, planted among the rosy-tinted shrubs expressly to add the last -touch of richness and effect to the scenery of an ocean flower-show. - -Yet they are not flowers, but animals—sea monsters, whose seeming -delicate petals are but their thousand Briarean arms, disguised as the -petals of a flower, and expanded to seize the unconscious victim as he -passes near the beautiful form—fatal to him as the crater of a volcano; -in which he is soon engulphed by the closing tentacles of his -unsuspected enemy. And if he pass not near enough for that deadly floral -embrace, those pretty crimson tubercles that dot so gracefully the -seeming stalk, beneath the seeming flower, can shoot forth a thread, -armed, like the fisher’s line, with a barbed hook, which strikes and -secures the distant prey; and so the unwary _Annelid_ or _Infusory_ is -captured and devoured. In this capacity the creature has been compared -to Pope’s spider, who - - “Feels at each thread, and lives along the line.” - -But then the living thread of the _Actinia_ (or of the _Cirriped_, which -has a similar power) is a fact, while the sensitive gossamer of the poet -is a fiction. - -But notwithstanding these ogre-like attributes, the lovely _Actinia_ -long deceived our naturalists as to its true nature—and of course the -poets—from whom his flower-like disc and petaloid tentacles completely -concealed his grosser nature. Then, as the tide recedes, he so meekly -closes his beautiful _oubliette_, with so much grace, and looking so -much like those shrinking flowers that close at eve, as though they -dared not to look on the black darkness of the night, that it is no -wonder poets were beguiled, and that the romantic Southey sings of the -_Actinia_ as of some lily of the deep that, on the retiring of the -ocean, - - “Sinks down within its purple stem to sleep.” - -To add to the wonders of this strange landscape come the creeping -_Nudibranchs_ and _Tectibranchs_, gliding over the gracefully-waving -_Algæ_; their elegant forms decorated with their external breathing -apparatus, like the pale skeleton of some delicate flower, so fine are -its milk-white filaments, arranged nearly always in a symmetrical and -star-like form. And then there are the singular and shadowy _Medusæ_ -floating past, in the form of parachutes, with low suspended cars, just -as though the science of ballooning had been carried to perfection under -the sea; and that they were made of elastic glass, instead of silk, -though richly flushed with iridescent and varying tinges, sometimes -metallic azure, and anon emerald green; hues that seem added by some -delicate process which the glass-blowers above the water have not yet -discovered. Some of these creatures are fragile as a soap-bubble, to -which their transparency and prismatic flashes of colour give them a -curious resemblance; and their ephemeral existence, dependent upon the -will of even an angry ripple of the element in which they live, is -doubtless as brief. - -The deep has even its butterflies, as well as the land. The fluttering -of the fins of some small and brightly-coloured fish has been compared -to the action of the wings of moths—as also the members, likewise used -for locomotive purposes, of some of the animals of the univalve shells. -Then there are minute phosphorescent animals, which represent the -fire-flies of the south, pouring a living flood of light as they glide -along—some emitting silvery, and others golden flashes, like floating -lamps that seem hurrying to light up the darkness of the far ocean -depths. - -Even the worms are gorgeous and wonderful in this subaqueous world. The -_Serpulæ_, with their radiating coronets of crimson _branchiæ_; the -_Pectinaria_, with its golden comb, glittering in burnished brightness; -and the _Nereis_, with white and crimson stripes—are all wonderful as -well as beautiful objects. But the _Halithea_, or sea-goddess, as Lamark -has named it, from the extraordinary beauty and the gorgeous colours -that radiate from the silky hairs with which it is clothed, surpasses -them all. - -These, and other wonders of still greater beauty, will reward the -persevering student who learns to _see_ them; but then he _must_ learn. -Even the intellectual giant, Shakspeare, could not see clearly many of -the minuter things of Nature. In his line upon the slow-worm, for -instance, vulgarly called the blind-worm, which he describes as - - “The eyeless, venomed worm,” - -are concentrated two mistakes; in the first place, the minute eyes of -this little creature are brilliant in the extreme, and not very -difficult to discover, to the naturalist who has learnt to see nature; -and, in the second place, it has no venom, its tiny bite being perfectly -harmless. In another place he speaks of - - “The blind-worm’s _sting_.” - -But it is useless to multiply examples of the physiological errors of -great men who had not learned to _see_ Nature; or, Milton’s errors in -regard to the leaf of the Banyan-tree, and many others, might be readily -cited. - -There are many glorious things to be seen in the sea, but we have to -learn to _see_ them; and those who find they cannot see with their own -eyes, must do so through the more gifted sense of others. To many—how -many, unguided by an able Cicerone—the fields round Selborne would -appear common and uninteresting enough; but guided by a Gilbert White, -whose searching eye knew even the hidden forms of plants, whose ear at -once distinguished and classified the song of birds, and even the buzz -of insects—guided by him, things assume a far different aspect; like -another Prospero, he waves his wand, and every object begins to -brighten, and a thousand new and beautiful features develop themselves -under the magic of his descriptions; crowds of marvels springing up -around, as from enchanted ground. In like manner, guided by the -fascinating science of a Johnston or a Harvey, or the persuasive -industry of a Gosse, or the eloquently glowing descriptions of a -Kingsley, students, who have not the energy or leisure to work for -themselves, will find the dark ocean glow with an unexpected light; and -the delighted explorer will long for the power to renew the impressions -of his sea-side rambles after his return to his inland home, perhaps in -the heart of a densely-populated city. Even this he may now do through -the medium of the marine Aquarium, within the narrow boundaries of which -he may, with a little care and experience, establish in healthy -existence some of the most beautiful of the animal and vegetable forms -that people the caves and depths of the ocean, and make its watery world -a region of wonders. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - THE AQUARIUM. - - -The successful treatment of aquatic plants and animals, in the confined -space of a glass Aquarium, depends entirely upon the discovery that -there exists in Nature a self-adjusting balance between the supply of -oxygen created in water, with the quantity consumed by aquatic animals. -And it became equally necessary to know the means by which that supply -was continually generated. Without the knowledge of these facts, and the -principles by which they are regulated, it would have been impossible to -establish such a marine Aquarium as that we may now any day examine in -the Regent’s Park; where, in a few glass tanks of very moderate size, we -may see examples of some of the most curious forms of animal and -vegetable life peculiar to the depths of the ocean—forms so singular, -that their first exhibition created a sense of wonder little less -intense than that which must have been caused, long years ago, by the -first public display of the mountain form of the elephant to the people -of cold northern countries; and much more so than the recent -introduction of the giraffe or hippopotamus, although they have never -been seen in Europe since the days of the Romans. - -Those principles, the knowledge of which was requisite to enable us thus -to view the wonders of the ocean in their living state in an Aquarium, -were not mastered at once, or by one man, or in one generation. The -nature of certain relations between animal and vegetable life, upon -which they are founded, was first advanced by Priestley, towards the -close of the last century, who proved that plants give forth the oxygen -necessary to animal life. The learned Ingenhauss, a native of Breda, but -who principally resided in England, defined this principle still more -clearly, in a work the title of which pretty fully explains the entire -nature of his discovery. It was published in French, at Leyden, in 1778, -and in London, in English, in 1779. The French edition is before me, the -title of which I translate, “Experiments upon Plants, which prove their -important influence in the purification of the atmospheric air when they -are exposed to the rays of the sun, and the contrary results which ensue -when they are placed in the shade, or during the night.” The action of -the sun’s rays in disengaging the oxygen generated in plants is thus -clearly announced, and the knowledge of this principle is one of those -which have mainly conduced, as I have said, to the successful -establishment of Aquaria. - -In the course of his essay Ingenhauss states, still more directly, that -plants “immersed in water,” when exposed to the action of light, emit an -air which he announces as oxygen gas; and this idea is the key-stone of -the Aquarium. - -But, although the discovery of Ingenhauss at once rendered the thing -practicable, Aquaria did not then come into fashion. The science of -natural history was not at that time sufficiently advanced; for the -specimens, even in public museums, were merely heterogeneous -collections, assembled without the slightest regard to classification, -or any other useful purpose. A stuffed cat with nine legs, stood, -perhaps, next to a bottled snake, followed by the skin of a crocodile, -to be succeeded in turn by a very moth-eaten specimen of a King Charles -spaniel, “supposed, upon good authority, to have belonged to Nell -Gwynne.” A few scores of such objects, with the addition of an ostrich -egg and a few sea-shells, without any attempt at name or description, -formed a very respectable museum in those times; and we may, therefore, -easily conceive that (in so far as experiments illustrative of natural -science were concerned) the suggestions of Ingenhauss remained tolerably -dormant. - -It was not till the year 1833, that Professor Daubeny communicated, to -the British Association at Cambridge, a paper concerning some new -researches prosecuted in the same direction; and not till 1837, that Mr. -Ward became the first to apply the principle to any purpose analogous to -that of the Aquarium. In that year he made a report to the British -Association, on the hermetically closed glass cases in which he had -succeeded in growing many classes of plants, and keeping them in a -healthy state without any fresh supply of air. He stated, at the same -time, his belief that certain classes of animals would live and thrive -under similar circumstances. This was the first direct hint towards the -formation of a closed Vivarium, whether atmospheric or aquatic. - -In 1842, Dr. Johnston satisfactorily proved the true vegetable nature of -_Corallines_ by observing their growth in a vessel containing sea-water; -and thus was established the first true Aquarium. With the experimental -tuft of _Coralline_ was a small frond of a green _Ulva_, and numerous -_Rissoæ_, &c., and several _Annelids_ afterwards appeared, having been, -no doubt, attached to the branches of the _Coralline_, or the fronds of -the _Ulva_. At the end of four weeks the water was still pure, the -Molluscs and other animals alive, and the Confervæ grown; the -_Coralline_ having thrown out several additional articulations. After -eight weeks, the water still remained sweet. But had any animal, of even -the lowest order, been so confined, without the accompanying presence of -vegetables giving off oxygen, all of that vital gas contained in so -small a quantity of water would have been quickly exhausted, and the -water would have become corrupt, ammoniacal, and poisonous to the life -of any living thing. But the author of this experiment had not in view -the testing of the possibility of preserving the forms of ocean life in -a healthy state in confinement; his business had been to settle an -important point connected with the classification of the _Corallines_; -and having successfully decided that question, the embryo Aquarium was -abandoned. - -On the 4th of June, 1850, Mr. R. Warrington communicated to the Chemical -Society a series of observations on the adjustment of certain relations -between the animal and vegetable kingdoms, very important to our present -purpose. Two small gold-fish were placed in a glass receiver, a small -plant of _Valisneria spiralis_ being planted at the same time in some -earth, beneath a layer of sand in the same vessel. All went on well by -this arrangement, without any necessity for changing the water; the -oxygen given off by the plant proving itself sufficient for the supply -of its animal co-tenants, and the water therefore remaining clean and -pure, until some decaying leaves of the _Valisneria_ caused turbidity, -and confervoid growth began to accumulate on the sides of the vessel. To -remedy this evil, Mr. Warrington brought to bear the results of previous -observations on water in natural ponds under analogous circumstances; -and, guided by these observations and their results, he placed a few -common pond-snails in the vessel containing his gold-fish and plant of -_Valisneria_. - -The new inmates, immediately upon their introduction, began to feed -greedily upon the decaying vegetable matter, and all was quickly -restored to a healthy state. They proved, indeed, of still further -advantage, for the masses of eggs which they deposited evidently -presented a kind of food natural to the fishes, which was eagerly -devoured by them, so that the snails became not only the scavengers, but -also the feeders of the little colony. And so this first of true Aquaria -prospered; the animals and plants proving of mutual value and support to -each other. The snails disposed of the decaying leaves, which would have -tainted the water and rendered it unfit for the healthy existence of the -plant, and the plant in turn gave forth, under the rays of sunlight, the -supply of oxygen necessary to both fish and snails. - -In January, 1852, Mr. Warrington, commenced a series of similar -experiments with sea-water; which were, at first, not so satisfactory, -but in the end proved as entirely successful. In the course of his -experiments, he found the red and brown _Algæ_, or sea-weed, less proper -for the formation of oxygen than the green. Of the latter class he -procured specimens of _Enteromorpha_ and _Ulva latissima_, which he -chiselled from the rocks about Broadstairs, along with the pieces of -chalk or flint to which they were attached; and, when he placed them in -his own marine Aquarium, he put in along with them, to represent the -pond-snails in the fresh-water tank, some of the common sea-snail, -better known as the Periwinkle (_Littorina littorea_). But these proved, -it appears, insufficient for the destruction of the mucous and -gelatinous matter that arose from the decay of the red sea-weeds, which, -however, I have no doubt may yet be cultivated with equal success with -the green, as I shall state when describing them. Under the existing -difficulty, Mr. Warrington found it necessary to aerate the water by -other means, many processes being equally available; such as injecting -fresh-water from a syringe, or establishing a drip, of some height, from -a vessel containing a supply of entirely fresh-water. Mr. Warrington -also discovered, in the course of these experiments, the necessity that -the light should pass directly through the surface of the water to the -plants, as in natural ponds and seas—a very important step in the -successful management of Aquaria; and he therefore had a slab of slate -adjusted to the side of his tank which stood next to the light. - -These successful experiments, both in fresh-water and marine Aquaria, -assign to Mr. Warrington, beyond dispute, the credit of being the -originator, or inventor, if the term may be so used, of these charming -additions to our conservatories, corridors, and even living-rooms, to -which they are certainly a much more attractive and instructive addition -than the old globe of blank water, with its pair of gold-fish swimming -round and round in ceaseless gyrations, tiresome to behold, in the vain -hope of escaping from their glaring and inconvenient prison; in which -they would inevitably have perished very shortly but for the daily -change of water, which, previous to our knowledge of air-emitting plants -and their use, was absolutely necessary. - -But another experimentalist was now in the field. Mr. Gosse, whose -charming works upon Aquaria and other subjects connected with natural -science, have, perhaps, made his name more widely known than that of his -predecessor, Mr. Warrington, commenced a series of experiments on the -subject of the marine Aquarium, about the same time as the last-named -gentleman, in the beginning of January, 1852. His experiments were -crowned with such complete success that he was induced to put himself in -communication with Mr. David Mitchell, the enterprising Secretary of the -Zoological Society, the result of which was the removal of the -collection of _Annelids_ and _Zoöphytes_ which Mr. Gosse had formed, to -the gardens of the Society in the Regent’s Park; where it formed the -nucleus from which has grown the magnificent series of Aquaria in the -building constructed specially for their reception. These marine Aquaria -at once became a subject of public as well as private interest, and the -Aquarium house was so crowded daily with its curious visitors, that it -was difficult to get a glimpse of the wonders of the “ocean floor,” and -its zoöphytic denizens, which were so successfully exhibited there; -principally through the skilful aid and untiring industry of Mr. Gosse, -through whose hands above five thousand specimens passed at the time, -collected at the request of the Zoological Society. - -In his interesting record of his early essays, Mr. Gosse gives us many -valuable particulars concerning his successive experiments, and the -various disappointments to which he was at first subjected; many of them -from causes now too well understood to require repetition. His principal -difficulty arose from over-crowding, although his tank did not appear, -as he states, too much filled. Another disappointment was caused by -putting in animals before the smell of the putty, with which the glass -sides were fixed, had sufficiently gone off. - -Mr. Gosse’s tank was made with a slate bottom, and birch pillars, in -which were grooves to receive the glass; and its dimensions were, two -feet long by one foot six wide, the depth not being mentioned. - -Taking these dimensions into consideration, it will be easy to conceive, -when the following list of specimens which Mr. Gosse introduced into his -Aquarium is examined, that his population was too dense for the extent -of his province, although the space might not have appeared too much -filled for picturesque effect. Of vegetable specimens, he introduced at -once the following:— - - 1. A tuft of _Furcellaria fastigiata_. - 2. Two of _Rhodymenia palmata_. - 3. One of _Dictyota dichotoma_. - 4. A small _Fucus serratus_. - 5. One _Laminaria digitata_. - 6. Two tufts of _Padina pavonia_. - 7. Several masses of _Corallina officinalis_. - 8. _Griffithsia setacea._ - 9. _Delesseria alata._ - 10. _Plocamium coccineum._ - 11. _Phylophora rubens._ - 12. _Zostera marina._ - -In a few days the water, poured carefully to these specimens, became -clear as pale green crystal, the green tinge being too slight to obscure -the colour of any object seen through its medium. - -From these weeds alone, before any supply of Zoöphytes or Molluscs were -intentionally added, a whole host of minute animal life swarmed forth; -some, doubtless, issuing from eggs newly hatched; others from the -shelter of the matted ramifications of some of the sea-weeds, in which -they had been taken, as in a net. Among these swarming creatures were -Annelids of the genus _Syllis_, _Rissoæ_, and other minute shell-fish, -but principally _Isopodous_ and _Entomostracous Crustacea_, many of them -being so minute as not to be perceived without the use of a powerful -lens. - -Of the animals next placed in this tank, of only two feet by one foot -six inches, the following is the list given:— - - FISH. - - 1. Fifteen, Spined Stickleback _Gasterosteus spinachia_. - 2. Seven, Gray Mullet (young) _Mugil capito_. - 3. One, Black Goby _Gobious niger_. - 4. One, Corkwing _Crenilabrus cornubicus_. - 5. One, Five-bearded Rockling _Motella 5-cirrata_. - 6. One, Great Pipe-fish (young) _Syngnathus acus_. - 7. One, Worm Pipe _Syngnathus lumbriformis_. - - SHELLS, MOLLUSCS, ETC. - - 1. Two, Ashy Top _Trochus cinerarius_. - 2. One, Navel Top _Trochus umbilicatus_. - 3. Three, Common Periwinkle _Littorina littorea_. - 4. Three, Yellow Periwinkle _Littorina littoralis_. - 5. One, Purple _Purpura lapillus_. - 6. One, Scrobicularia. - 7. One, Anomia. - 8. Two, Common Cockle _Cardium edule_. - 9. Two, Ascidia. - - CRUSTACEA, ETC. - - 1. Two, Hermit Crab _Pagurus Bernhardus_. - 2. One, ditto _Pagurus Prideauxii_. - 3. Four, Sand Shrimp _Cragnon vulgaris_. - 4. One, Prawn _Palæmon serratus_. - 5. Three, Crown Worm _Serpula triquetra_. - 6. Three, White-line Worm _Nereis bilineata_. - - ZOÖPHYTES. - - 1. Two, Thick-horned Anemone _Actinia crassicornis_. - 2. Three, Weymouth Anemone _Actinia clavata_. - 3. Two, Parasitic Anemone _Actinia parasitica_. - 4. Six, Plumose Anemone _Actinia dianthus_. - 5. Five, Daisy Anemone _Actinia bellis_. - -There were thus above seventy specimens, animal and vegetable, already -in the tank, without counting the swarms of smaller creatures, some the -young of large species, daily increasing in size; yet, our bold -experimentalist, anxious to conquer his “Russia” at one grand invasion, -still poured in fresh specimens. These consisted of:— - - FISH. - - 1. One, Æquorial Pipe-fish _Syngnathus æquoreus_. - - MOLLUSCS, CRUSTACEANS, ETC. - - 1. One, Rough Doris _Doris pilosa_. - 2. Two, Magus Top _Trochus magus_. - 3. One, Nerit _Natica Alderi_. - 4. One, Squin _Pecten opercularis_. - 5. One, Pholas _Pholas parvæ_. - 6. One, Pisa _Pisa tetraodon_. - 7. One, Cleanser Crab _Portunus depurator_. - 8. One, Ebalia _Ebalia Pennantii_. - 9. One, Hermit (small) _Pagurus . . . . . ._ - 10. Three, Lobster Prawn _Athanas nilescens_. - - STAR-FISH, ETC. - - 1. One, Brittle Star _Ophiocoma rosula_. - 2. One, Eyed Cribella _Cribella oculata_. - 3. Two, Scarlet Sun-Star _Solaster papposa_. - 4. One Bird’s-foot Star _Palmipes membranaceus_. - 5. Three, Gibbons Starlet _Asterina gibbosa_. - 6. One, Purple-tipped Urchin _Echinus miliaris_. - 7. Seven, Scarlet Madrepore _Balanophillia regia_. - 8. Three, Cloak Anemone _Adamsia palliata_. - -These additions brought the collection up to above a hundred specimens, -and no doubt the tank made a glorious show; but Mr. Gosse, though the -Napoleon of his specialty, was forced to acknowledge that there was an -“impossible.” Although his collection was superb, and his interesting -tank did not look over-crowded, yet he soon discovered that a forbidden -limit had been passed, and that the creatures of the ocean that have -yards—fathoms—of their native element to their own separate share, -cannot accommodate themselves to the allotment system, in the proportion -of a square inch to each individual. - -To remedy this state of things, the evil effects of which soon became -apparent, artificial aeration was resorted to, by means of another -vessel, which kept up a continuous supply of dripping fresh water. But -even this assistance did not enable the crowded colony to exist more -than ten days. In the first place, there were many predatory species, -which destroyed their associates; these kinds must, therefore, be -excluded from an Aquarium, or kept in a separate tank. But, after all, -the impossibility of providing a sufficient supply of oxygen was -evidently the great and principal cause of failure. The Univalves and -smaller Crustacea disappeared first, a disagreeable smell giving -intimation that decay was going on, the creatures that had perished -having, many of them, died in concealment, under the stones, weeds, &c., -at the bottom of the Aquarium. The first signs of unpleasant effluvia -rising from the tank must, therefore, be carefully attended to; and, in -such cases, the Aquarium ought to be immediately searched for the cause; -which, when discovered, should be immediately removed. - - [Illustration: PLATE XI. - - A DESIGN FOR A PLAINLY-MOUNTED AQUARIUM.] - -Mr. Gosse having taken out the whole of the specimens, dead and alive, -and carefully cleansed the tank, a much smaller number was put in, -which, being well selected, and having sufficient space, throve -abundantly well; and the ingenious experimentalist was at last amply -rewarded for all his persevering exertions. This result benefited others -as well as himself, for a general taste suddenly arose for this kind of -pursuit, among all who read the various works which soon appeared on the -subject; and, to gratify the new taste, a host of dealers in Aquaria -have sprung up, who are driving a brisk and profitable trade. - -The first experiments of Mr. Gosse sufficiently point out the kind of -cautions to be observed in the formation of a marine Aquarium. The -vessel itself may be either quite plain in its frame-work, as shown in -Plate XI., or made more or less ornamental, to assimilate, if necessary, -with surrounding objects or furniture. The rustic style of frame, -designed in Plate XII., has been found to accord well with the general -character of the Aquarium itself, and it produces an agreeable contrast -with the usual forms of the furniture of our ordinary sitting-rooms. - - [Illustration: PLATE XII. - - A DESIGN FOR AN AQUARIUM MOUNTED IN HANDSOME RUSTIC-WORK.] - -Those made by the dealers are generally formed with slate floors and -backs, and zinc columns and mountings; the smallest and most simple, -about fifteen inches long by ten inches broad, costing from a guinea to -twenty-five shillings, and those of the proportion of two feet by one -foot six costing from two pounds ten to three pounds. A small syphon -will be useful, in order to remove a portion of the water, if required, -without disturbance; and also a syringe, in order to aerate the water -when necessary, if a second reservoir of fresh-water, in a suitable -position, should not be convenient. A miniature landing-net is also -useful for the removal of decaying matter, or occasionally the living -specimens when any change may be required. - -A layer of sand and pebbles, about three inches deep, placed upon the -slate flooring, is the first step towards arranging the interior of the -tank. Upon this beginning, removing the sand and stones in places to -procure a firm basis, the rock-work may be built; which should be -picturesque and fanciful in character, as partially suggested in the two -Plates, leaving miniature archways and caves for the shelter of such -creatures as shun the light, either constantly or occasionally. Such a -disposition of the rock imparts, at the same time, many pleasing effects -to the pictorial composition. These matters are not, however, much -attended to by dealers, whose arrangements of the Aquaria they offer for -sale are generally tasteless enough. But that is perhaps all the better, -as it entails upon the amateur the necessity of providing his own taste, -which is at all times both a useful and pleasant effort of mind, and -which, moreover, leaves, after each period of exertion, a permanent -trace of an increased refinement which influences the whole character. - -In the distribution of the rocks, I would always allow at least one -point to project above the water, in order to afford the opportunity to -those animals whose instincts lead them to seek occasional exposure to -the air, the means of gratifying it by that contrivance. I have thought, -indeed, of constructing a kind of double Aquarium, and perfecting a -contrivance by means of which a large portion of water should flow -gradually from one tank to the other at fixed periods, in imitation of -the ebb and flow of the tide. Many interesting phenomena would be -exhibited in this manner, such as the closing of the _Actiniæ_ as the -water receded, and their expansion as it covered them on its return. -This alternation, too, might be found highly advantageous to the health -and development of the animals whose natural habitat lies between high -and low water-mark, and whose constitution is therefore framed to -require entire or partial exposure to the air at certain intervals of -time. I also prefer, as preserving a similar set of analogies, a sloping -bottom, similar to that of the coast. For instance, if the slate back of -the Aquarium be placed next the light, which is its proper position, as -the light ought to penetrate the water entirely through its upper or -horizontal surface, then I would fill the side next the slate back -nearly to the top with pieces of rock, gradually reducing their height, -till, at the other side, they should hardly rise above the floor of sand -and pebbles, leaving, at last, a flat portion of the pebbly or sandy -bottom quite level. - -When this form of rock-work is decided upon, the Aquarium should be of -rather wider proportions than usual, in order to allow of the slope -being pretty gradual. Supposing the tank to fill entirely the recess of -a spare window, which is a position in which it looks exceedingly well, -a solid slate back may be found to darken the vessel or the room too -much; in such a case, a glass back must be preferred, which can be -shaded from the direct influence of the light by a blue or green shade -of calico neatly fitted to the frame; and it must be borne in mind, as -essential, that the Aquarium must be so placed as to receive the direct -rays of light during some part of the day, being screened by a white -blind when the sun may be too powerful; as should the water become -_tepid_, it would be fatal to many of the inhabitants of the miniature -sea. - -With due observance of these precautions, the amateur may hope to frame -and establish an Aquarium in a suitable form, and in a suitable position -for the reception of its inmates; an account of which, and of the manner -of their introduction, will form the subject of the ensuing chapters. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - THE VEGETATION OF THE MARINE AQUARIUM. - - -As the forest must be planted before its denizens can luxuriate in its -shades, so the submarine shrubbery of the Aquarium must be perfected -before the aquatic animals can be introduced. For it has been shown, in -tracing the history of the experiments which resulted in the -establishment of the principles that regulate the formation of Aquaria, -that it is by plants only that a supply of oxygen can be kept up, -sufficient for the health and existence of all forms of animal life -beneath the water.[1] It is necessary, also, that the rays of sunlight -should fall upon the foliage directly through the surface of the water; -and when an Aquarium, with its plants, is placed in a position to -receive the light in this manner, their fronds may be observed giving -forth the gas in small silvery bubbles and corruscations, which have a -brilliant and gem-like appearance. - - -[Footnote 1: Analogous principles are at work in our fields and forests, -but we have now only to do with the submarine production of oxygen.] - - -Some marine plants appear to succeed much better than others, but I -believe that happens only from their treatment being imperfectly -understood; and I believe, not only that all the exquisitely beautiful -marine _Algæ_ of our own shores may be successfully grown, but also that -the more splendid varieties of the tropical seas may be made to thrive -in properly-heated Aquaria, and thus form one of the most attractive -features of our hot-houses—one that has not yet been dreamed of. - -In ordinary Aquaria, such as I am now treating of, I shall name first -those species of sea-weed recommended by Mr. Gosse and others as most -easily cultivated, but I shall also point out many other species, which -I feel convinced may be successfully grown under proper management; and -they certainly deserve every effort that can be made to establish them -in Aquaria, as they are among the most beautiful of their tribe. - -If not purchased of dealers, the plants must be very carefully collected -by the amateur himself, taking care to detach a portion of the substance -to which they are growing, and packing them in damp refuse sea-weed, -keeping them out of their native element as short a time as possible. - -The plants in most flourishing condition in the marine tanks of the -Zoological Gardens, were at first those of the _Chlorospermatous_ order, -but others have since succeeded nearly as well. Plants of _Ulva_ and -_Conferva_ have done very well, but the most successful growth has been -that of a plant of the genus _Bryopsis_, which, entirely enveloping a -large stone in its mossy and almost feather-like foliage, produces a -very beautiful appearance. Those unlearned in scientific names will be -glad, perhaps, to learn that these beautiful _Algæ_ derive their title -from two Greek words, Bryon (βρυον), a moss, and opsis (οψιϛ), a -resemblance, from their likeness to some of the most delicate and -feather-like mosses of our woods. The delineation of _Bryopsis plumosa_ -in Plate II., on the extreme left near the lower part of the Plate, will -convey some idea of these elegant sea-weeds. - -_Chondrus crispus_ is a beautiful plant, and well suited to the -Aquarium. It will often be found under ledges of rock, completely -concealed by a pendant veil of _Fucus_, commonly known as the -olive-weed; and, on lifting the tangled mass of its rank growth, many -beautiful and unexpected plants are frequently found, but none strike -the explorer more than the _Chondrus_. Its nacreous tints, like those of -a pearl shell, varying wonderfully according to situation, being very -remarkable. It is the Carrageen Moss of the herb market. This plant -forms the principal object in the lower part of Plate IV., to the right. - -_Laurencia pinnatifolia_ is a pretty branching plant, also varying in -hue according to the aspect in which it grows. In the shade it is -purple, but when receiving the full influence of the sun’s rays, it -assumes a light-yellow tone; just as the _Lycopodium_, known as -Fortune’s Moss, is purple when grown in the darkest part of a room, but -becomes of an ordinary green tone when placed for some time near the -light. The _Laurencia_ is shown at the upper part of Plate V., coloured -pale-violet. - -The splendid plant _Rhodymenia palmata_, with its finely-coloured, -semi-transparent fronds, is also recommended. It is the Dulse, or -Dellis, eaten by the inhabitants of our northern coasts as a delicacy. -Another species of _R. lacinata_ is represented to the left of Plate V., -the transparent light-crimson fronds of which are excessively beautiful. -Mr. Gosse tells us that the _Rhodymenia palmata_ is not suited to an -Aquarium, because it appears to require the motion of the sea, and soon -begins to decay in still water. If that be the case, let us provide a -remedy, for the plant is one of the most beautiful among all its lovely -congeners. When a plant of the gigantic lily of the Amazon river was -first introduced, it refused to flower in the tank provided for its -northern home, at the Duke of Devonshire’s residence at Chatsworth. But -Sir Joseph Paxton, who then directed the floricultural operations of -that magnificent abode, was not discouraged; and, seeking to impart to -the still water of the tank something of the motion of a deep and -majestic river, he contrived that a small but continuous stream should -enter at one end of the tank, and, as it entered, turn a small -paddle-wheel, the action of which imparted a gentle, undulating motion -to the water of the whole tank. The device was triumphant, and the -glorious _Victoria regia_ formed and expanded its giant flowers in the -house which its curator had constructed for it, the plan of which -eventually suggested the creation of the “Crystal Palace.” Let us not -despair, therefore, of cultivating successfully the beautiful -_Rhodymenia palmata_ in our Aquaria. The construction of a suitable -apparatus for imparting motion to the too still waters, will form a -pleasant _passetemps_ for some of our fair admirers of the pursuits of -the Aquarium; and their success would be a signal triumph. But at -present the beautiful red weeds, in general, are difficult of -cultivation, and when they begin to exhibit spots of orange—a vegetable -plague-spot not to be mistaken—it is a symptom of decay which should at -once cause their removal from the Aquarium, before their decomposition -leads to further mischief. - -The common Coralline, _Corallina officinalis_, of which a small spray is -represented in the extreme lower part of Plate V., near the centre, is -the “arboret of jointed stone” alluded to by the poet, and is well -suited to Aquaria, thriving with little trouble. The smaller and -slenderer kind is also suitable; but care must be taken, in collecting, -not to choose the detached white fragments, which are washed up with -every tide, for they are only the skeletons of the plant. It is the -rosy-tinted specimens, verging to violet and purple, and still attached -to pieces of rock, that are alone fit to remove to the Aquarium. - - [Illustration: PLATE I. - - 1. Delesseria sanguinea. - 2. Punctaria latifolia. - 3. Chordaria flagelliformis. - 4. Vaucheria submarina. - 5. Hildenbrandtia rubra.] - -The _Cladophoræ_ are also stated to be very suitable, _C. rupestris_ -being a very useful plant for the purpose. It is of a bluish-green, that -harmonizes well with the tone of the sea-water, and fills up little -chasms in the artificial rocks with very good effect, especially in -contrast with the reddish-purple tufts of _Polysiphonia arceolata_, -which do well in an Aquarium, and are a great aid to the foliage of the -little marine landscape. The elegant, fan-formed, and brightly-radiated -_Padina pavonia_ is likewise mentioned, and should at all events be -tried, as the tufts of that graceful marine plant form very singular as -well as beautiful objects in the tank.[2] - - -[Footnote 2: A list of the plants with which Mr. Gosse furnished his -first Aquarium is given in Chapter III.] - - -I would also recommend the trial of all the plants delineated in the -five Plates devoted to the sea-weeds in this little book. - -In Plate I., the first, occupying the upper part, with leaf-like fronds -of transparent crimson, is the beautiful and not uncommon sea-weed, -_Delesseria sanguinea_. The delicate pale plant below, to the right, is -_Punctaria latifolia_, thin as tissue-paper, and speckled over its -pale-buff surface with bright but minute grains of black. To the left is -a branch of _Chordaria flagelliformis_, the rich olive of which -contrasts well with the red kinds of _Algæ_. In the front, growing on a -detached pebble, is the Lichen-like _Hildenbrandtia rubra_, the rich -carmine of which might be made to form an exquisite touch of colour, if -tastefully placed in the Aquarium; and to the extreme right is a small -tuft of _Vaucheria submarina_. - -In Plate II., the principal object, near the top of the Plate, is a bush -of _Callithamnion arbuscula_, which receives its name from the tree-like -aspect which it assumes more distinctly than any other of the marine -_Algæ_. Behind it, to the right, are the tall and graceful forms, with -their crimped edges, of the slender _Laminaria phyllitis_. And below, -still to the right, is a branch of _Codium tomentosum_, distinguished by -its light, vivid green, and the edging of delicate ciliæ, which have the -appearance of a border of paler green, to every branchlet. Still to the -right, in the extreme foreground, is a broken piece of rock on which -plants of the curious _Leathesia Berkleyi_ have grown, like convex -kernels of bronze. To the left are the red-violet tufts of the _Bangia -fusco-purpurea_, and behind them, a branch of _Bryopsis plumosa_. - - [Illustration: PLATE II. - - 1. Bangia fusco-purpurea. - 2. Codium tomentosum. - 3. Bryopsis plumosa. - 4. Callithamnion arbuscula. - 5. Leathesia Berkleyi. - 6. Laminaria phyllitis.] - -In Plate III. the bright-green feathery plant in the extreme background -is _Ectocarpus siliculosus_; and behind it, the violet, antler-like -fronds of _Nemaleon multifida_. The large, gracefully-bending frond of -rich purple, with narrower and younger fronds springing from the same -root, is _Porphyra vulgaris_, one of the commonest, but most splendid of -our marine _Algæ_, with which, in combination with other plants of -suitable contrast, the vegetation of the Aquarium may be rendered truly -splendid, if it once be successfully cultivated; of which I have no -doubt, when its natural wants are sufficiently studied and ingeniously -supplied. The splendidly-marked plant to the right, with its black -maculations and richly-frilled edge, is _Nitophyllum punctatum_, one of -our most splendid species; and the curious pale-buff, tubular plant in -front of it, is _Asperococcus Turneri_. Near the foot of the -_Nitophyllum_ is a little tuft of the delicate _Dumontia filiformis_; -and, to the extreme left, a branch of the brown-fronded _Rytiphæa -pinastris_, which receives its specific name from the somewhat Pine-like -growth it frequently assumes. Immediately beneath it, on the extreme -right, is a little cluster of _Chordaria divaricata_; and below, in the -left foreground, are a few pink fronds of the curious Alga, _Chrysemenia -rosea_; while, in the foreground, to the right, on a detached pebble, is -a small mass of the pale-crimson _Peyssonetia Dubyi_. - -In Plate IV. the principal object is a fasciculus of _Taonia atomaria_, -rising behind the point of rock at the top of the Plate, behind which -are two long fronds of the spotted _Asperococcus_; to the left is the -horn-like _Gigartina acicularis_; and in the front, to the left, the -crimson tufts of a pretty weed (_Ceramium strictum_), which our artist -has made too like the _Bangia fusco-purpurea_. - -In Plate V. the violet-toned _Laurencia pinnatifolia_ is grouped behind -the solid, deep-crimson fronds of _Iridæa edulis_, which are often -perfectly Pear-shaped, like pieces of crimson leather neatly cut in that -form; but the action of tides in rough weather often tears the edges, -and wears holes through the texture of the plant, as shown in the -principal frond. To the left is the bright-crimson _Rhodymenia -lacinata_—one of our most exquisitely beautiful marine _Algæ_. The -fronds are as thin as the finest conceivable tissue, and beautifully -transparent, which is shown wherever the lacinations of the edge overlap -each other, in which places the double thickness of the texture doubles, -at the same time, the intensity of the colour, as indicated in the -representation. On the same level, to the right, is a small group of the -delicate green _Ulva latissima_—a plant which has proved useful beyond -all others in Aquaria, as throwing off, under the action of the light, a -much greater profusion of silvery globules of oxygen than any other -species yet known. At the same level still, on the extreme right, is a -sprig of the delicately-branched parasite, _Polysphonia parasitica_, -growing on a small mass of pale sulphur-coloured _Melobesia -lichenoides_, the Lichen-like Melobesia. To the extreme left, under the -beautiful _Rhodymenia_, is a small branch of the bright, olive-tinted -_Ectocarpus tomentosus_, looking much like a spray of wild Broom, and -immediately below it, a few purple branchlets of _Gracilaria -confervoides_; while in the left foreground lies a pebble, partly -covered by a small plant of _Zonaria parvula_, from beneath which -straggles a little branch of the common but pretty Coralline, the -_Corallina officinalis_; and, to the right, a globe of the curious -_Codium bursa_, of the French coast, which might easily be added to our -native species in the Aquarium. - - [Illustration: PLATE III. - - 1. Porphyra vulgaris. - 2. Dumontia filiformis. - 3. Asperococcus Turneri. - 4. Rytiphlæa pinastris. - 5. Chrysymenia rosea. - 6. Peyssonetia Dubyi. - 7. Chordaria divaricata. - 8. Ectocarpus siliculosus. - 9. Nemaleon multifida. - 10. Nitophyllum punctatum.] - -Such are a few of our beautiful coast _Algæ_, all of which I would -advise the admirers of the beauties of the marine Aquarium to try; and -if some refuse, in the present state of our knowledge of their habits -and requirements, to make themselves happy in their pretty “crystal -palace,” choosing rather to consider it a “prison of glass,” still a -good number of them, I am persuaded, may be coaxed into displaying their -beauties very genially within its transparent walls, which admit the -bright sun rays as freely as the pale-green liquid glass which forms -their native element. - -The best time for making collections at the sea-side is a day or two -after the full moon, when the tide recedes to its greatest extent, and -parts of the shore become exposed, where some of the finest species -grow, which cannot be conveniently approached at any other time. It must -be borne in mind, also, that few of the floating pieces will grow, -however fresh and seemingly washed off with their root. Certain success -is only to be secured by chiselling off a portion of the substance on -which the weed is growing—thus transplanting it with its own soil, as it -were, about its roots, into the ocean garden of the Aquarium. - -[Illustration] - - [Illustration: PLATE IV. - - 1. Chondrus crispus. - 2. Gigartina acicularis. - 3. Ceramium strictum. - 4. Taonia atomaria. - 5. Plocamium coccineum.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - THE ZOÖPHYTES. - - -The Aquarium having been furnished with its vegetation, and rendered as -picturesque as possible by the well-arranged juxtaposition of -felicitously-contrasting forms and colours, the water must be allowed to -settle for some days, until it is as clear as pale-green crystal, before -the animals are introduced to their new home. When the Alpine scenery of -the submarine landscape appears perfectly settled, and all its colours -and forms are seen with beautiful distinctness through the clarified -waters, then the still life is ready to be associated with the more -active organizations of animated creatures. Before speaking of Molluscs, -or Crustacea, or of Fish, suitable to the Aquarium, let us first devote -all our attention to our _Zoöphytes_, those singular creatures whose -strange instincts and anomalous forms have been mainly instrumental in -attracting the attention of many classes of the public to that curious -interest in Aquaria, which is fast spreading into a mania, threatening -to absorb all others in its vortex, like _Infusoriæ_ drawn within the -fatal tentacles of the _Actinia_. - -First, of the _Actiniæ_, or Sea-Anemonies. These flower-formed animals -were once thought to form a curious and astonishing link between the -animal and vegetable world; and many curious speculations, based upon -that idea, were put forth, among which the links between man and the -inferior animals, and between quadrupeds and fishes, were asserted in -further illustration of the theory. But the deceptiveness of superficial -knowledge, based upon imperfect observations, was never more strikingly -exemplified than in the present instance. It was thought that, because -these creatures were found attached to rocks, they necessarily drew -their nourishment principally through the medium of roots, as all true -plants do; more accurate observation, however, has shown that they are -not _permanently_ fixed to the rocks, and that they have the power of -moving from one place to another, and attaching themselves anew, -whenever a sufficiently disturbing cause renders such removal desirable. -Again, oysters and mussels remain fixed to rocks without being -considered allied to plants on that account; and even some fish have the -power of attaching themselves to such and other substances by means of -curiously-formed ventral fins, peculiarly fitted for the purpose. The -pretty little two-spotted sucker, _Lepidogaster bimaculatus_, possesses -this faculty. - -But the flower-like form into which the arms, or food-seizers, of the -_Actiniæ_ are spread, radiating from a centre like the petals of a -flower, was the main reason for supposing a close analogy between these -strange creatures and plants—a fancy now utterly abandoned, as it is -quite evident that they are furnished with a mouth and stomach, like all -true animals, and with a set of arms called tentacles for seizing their -prey; and, perhaps, at the same time, through the medium of delicate -ciliæ with which the tentacles are connected, with a breathing -apparatus, through which a current of water is taken in, and discharged -after its oxygen has been abstracted. - -The discovery of the true nature of these singular creatures has not, -however, changed their flower-like appearance, which to a superficial -observer is as deceptive as ever; and few (not professed naturalists), -observing these singular _Zoöphytes_ for the first time, would hesitate -to pronounce them a kind of sea-plant. - -Let us turn, for example, to Plate VIII., and note the appearance of the -two varieties of _Actinia dianthus_—the carnation-like _Actinia_, as its -name imports—and we shall easily excuse our early naturalists their -pretty but erroneous fancies concerning them. This species is more -subject than many others to vary in colour, even like the flower after -which it is named, being found of every tone between snow-white, orange, -pale scarlet, and blood red—while some specimens take duskier tints, -from a dull brown to a kind of orange green. But we will describe our -illustrations of this genus in regular succession, noting what is most -peculiar in the subjects of each Plate. - -Plate VI. contains a representation of one of the last-discovered -species of _Actiniæ_—one which displays a habit that distinguishes it -from all its congeners hitherto described by naturalists, and which has -entitled it to be classed as a separate genus, and named _Edwardsia -vestita_. The generic name is from that of a well-known naturalist, and -the specific name, _vestita_, from its habit of forming for itself a -shell, or clothing, into which it has the faculty of retiring at -pleasure; or, if an inhabitant of the shallow water, when the tide -recedes, and leaves it inconveniently exposed to the air. This species, -unless it have the power of quitting its shell, like some Molluscs, is -of necessity permanently fixed and confined to the position in which the -egg from which it was hatched was placed by the instinct of the parent, -or the caprice of the waves. The other objects in Plate VI. will be -described in another place. - - [Illustration: PLATE VII. - - 1. Actinia clavata. - 3. Pennatula phosphorea. - 4. A Shell of the Common Whelk, on which are two specimens of Balanus. - 5. A group of Ascidians.] - -In Plate VII. we have two remarkable species; the one with drooping -tentacles of dull brick-red, being a very curious variety. The species -below is _Actinia clavata_, one of the most delicately-beautiful -species, which, from its brilliant whiteness, at once attracts the -attention. - -In Plate VIII. are two varieties, previously described, of _Actinia -dianthus_, the plumose or feather-like Anemone. In front, below them, is -the representation of one of the most splendid of all the species, -having received the specific name _Gemmacea_, from the gem-like -appearance produced by the touches of colour—blue, buff, and brown—about -the orifice of the mouth or stomach, and about its sharply-pointed -tentacles. The stem or body is also variegated with rows of brightly -tinted tubercles, and its whole surface is clouded with pale iridescent, -or rather nacreous, tones of pink and azure, varied with occasional -flashes of orange. All the species are furnished with tubercles of a -similar description about the stem or body, but in many they are not so -conspicuous, and in others almost imperceptible; yet they no doubt exist -in all, as they are not merely ornamental, but essential organs, -peculiar to this class of creatures; being reservoirs from which they -can shoot forth a thread, furnished with a barbed and poisoned dart, by -means of which they are able to attain an enemy, or victim, far beyond -the reach of their tentacles. Mr. Gosse very graphically describes the -death of a small fish struck by one of these thread-borne poisoned -arrows, at some distance from the offended _Actinia_, who launched his -dart, as it seemed, for no greater provocation than a slight disturbance -of the water rather nearer to his retreat than was agreeable. - - [Illustration: PLATE VIII. - - 1. Actinia gemmacea. - 3. & 4. Actinia mesembrianthemum. - 5. Lucernaria auricula. - 6. Virgularia mirabilis.] - -The _Actinia gemmacea_, it would appear, is a more voracious creature -than most of his congeners, for Dr. Johnston, in his splendid work on -the British Zoöphytes, describes one of this species that had managed to -swallow a shell of _Pecten maximus_ as large as a common saucer, its own -natural diameter not exceeding two inches. It managed, however, to -distend its elastic form sufficiently to receive the enormous prey; but -the shell divided the stomach into two completely separate departments, -the lower one being thus perfectly shut off from its usual supplies. To -meet this difficulty, the organic economy of the creature adapted itself -in a most extraordinary manner; a new mouth was opened below the -division, furnished with two rows of new tentacles, and thus the lower -portion regained a means of taking in nourishment, the whole creature -forming a singular double monster, that, not contented with its one -giant mouth, surrounded with its hundred arms to supply its voracious -appetite, had actually succeeded in supplying itself with a second, -equally furnished with its formidable feeding apparatus. - -In Plate IX. a very beautifully distinct form of this singular race of -animals is very carefully delineated—_Actinia anguicoma_—which seems to -be shaking loose a mass of serpent-like hair, like another Medusa; from -which appearance, its specific name _anguicoma_, signifying -snake-haired, has doubtless been given. - -The tentacles of the _Actinia mesembrianthemum_ are generally of a -beautiful rosy-pink, and the body of a rich warm brown. But of all the -species, _A. crassicornis_—represented in the lower part of Plate X.—is -perhaps the handsomest, the orifice or mouth being of a delicate straw -tone, the tentacles white, variegated with bands of delicate pink, and -the body, or stem, a rich orange-brown, thickly sprinkled with tubercles -of bright yellow. This fine species sometimes measures five inches -across, when the tentacles are fully expanded. - -When the _Actiniæ_ are in a state of repose or sleep, the tentacles are -entirely drawn in, and the stem or body closes over the orifice, leaving -only a slight indent to mark its existence. In this state they might be -mistaken for short-stemmed fungi, the pale-bodied species being very -much like a half-grown mushroom, if one can imagine it placed close to -the ground, without any visible stem. - -Most of the species can be easily detached from the rocks to which they -are found adhering, but in some cases it is found necessary to cut out -the portion to which they cling, by means of a hammer and chisel. But -when this is done, and they are placed in the Aquarium, they often -willingly leave the stone to which they are attached, which they would -not do by gentle persuasion, or any moderate amount of force; and they -then take up their station on some suitable portion of the artificial -rock-work, just as those do that have been originally detached from -their native rocks. Above twenty species of _Actiniæ_ are known to -British naturalists. - - [Illustration: PLATE IX. - - 1. Actinia anguicoma. - 2. Cucumis hyalinus. - 3. Echinus sphæra. - 4. Alyconium digitatum.] - -The _Lucernariæ_ are another class of Zoöphytes, or plant-like -creatures, as the term _Zoöphyte_ implies, being formed of the Greek -word, _Zoön_ (ξωον), signifying a thing possessed of animal life, and -_phyton_ (φυτον) a plant. This general term is applied to all the -creatures—some of very distinct character—that belong to this class, -which forms a separate division of natural science, known as -Zoöphytology. - -The species of _Lucernaria_, which has received the specific -denomination of _auricula_, from its slight resemblance in form to the -flower of that name, is delineated in Plate VIII., attached to a slender -branch of sea-weed, just above the two large Sea-Anemonies. This species -of _Lucernaria_ is generally of a light pinkish colour, and is, in -general form, perhaps more like a Convolvulus than an Auricula. Two -species have been most beautifully delineated in all their details by -Mrs. Johnston, in her husband’s magnificent work on British Zoöphytes. -These drawings are, in fact, so charmingly and, at the same time, -accurately executed, that it would seem that the pencil ought to be -guided by delicate female fingers when portraying these -minutely-intricate and unusual forms of animal life. The exquisite -drawings by Mrs. J. E. Gray, in her work on the curious molluscous -animals, whose habitations alone, the beautiful sea-shells of our -cabinets, were, till recently, all that was known of them, afford -further evidence, if it were needed, of the aptitude of the more -finely-strung female capacity for this department of scientific -portraiture. The name of Mrs. Griffiths is also honourably associated -with the study of natural science, especially that connected with our -marine _Algæ_—a beautiful division of sea-weeds—having received its name -Griffithsia, in honour of the esteemed services of that accomplished -lady. - -The _Lucernaria campanulata_, which is of a somewhat more bell-shaped -form than the preceding, is of an uniform liver colour; and in the -hollow of the flower-like cup the “mouth” projects, in a square form in -the centre. There are three known species of British _Lucernariæ_, which -would all form highly curious objects in the Aquarium; but they are -excessively delicate and fragile creatures, hanging suspended from the -object to which they are attached, when taken out of the water, like a -mere lump of jelly, and would doubtless be very difficult of transport, -and probably not capable of retaining life in a state of confinement, -except for a short time. - -The “compound Zoöphytes,” or, more properly, _Polyps_, as being, as it -were, many creatures in one, are still more curious than the two classes -just described. A common example of this class is the _Alyconium -digitatum_, looking like a mass of short fingers, when the final florets -are closed, as its specific name imports, being sometimes called, by the -fishermen of our northern coasts, Dead-men’s-toes. Each finger-like cell -contains a separate creature, whose tentacles, when expanded, form the -floret, after the manner of those of the Sea-Anemonies, but yet each -separate creature is vitally attached to a central polypidom, or spine, -which binds the whole group into one existence. - -Of this class are the curious _Pennatulidæ_, one of which is commonly -known as the Sea-Pen. The three species of this class of _Polyps_ known -to inhabit the British seas, are so distinct from each other that they -form at the same time three distinct genera. The most beautiful of the -three is the _Pennatula phosphorea_, the Sea-Pen, which is not uncommon -on some parts of our northern coasts. It is represented in Plate VII. -The purple branches, or pinnæ, of the upper portion, form the feathered -part of the quill pen to which it is likened; the bare portion of the -polypidom below having certainly some resemblance to the quill. This -curious zoöphytic form is often seen in an erect position, planted, as -it were, in the mud like a miniature purple Pine, though it is capable -of motion through the water from place to place, by some action of its -organs which has not been accurately detected. It is one of the -handsomest of our British Zoöphytes. The polypidom, or trunk, is three -or four inches long, fleshy, and of a purplish red. It is naked at the -lower end, and feathered above with long, closely-set pinnæ, along the -margins of which the polyp-cells are placed. The pinnæ are curved -backward, and capable of either separate or united motion. They are -supposed by some to be capable of the action of regular oars; but this -is very doubtful, though their bearing on the polypidom, which is -strengthened by an internal column of calcareous or bony matter, would -give them considerable power for that purpose. The creature’s specific -name, _phosphorea_, must not lead to the supposition that it always -emits a phosphorescent light, for it is only when irritated that this is -produced. If plunged into fresh-water, it scatters a shower of -phosphoric sparks in all directions, which forms a magnificent and -curious spectacle, far more brilliant, no doubt, than the fabled hues of -the dying dolphin. - -The _Virgularia mirabilis_ is another of this class of creatures, almost -as elegant as the Sea-Pen, but more slender, and in the form of a -branching rod, as its name imports. (See Plate VIII.) - -The Sponges form a curious class of Zoöphytes, which have perhaps a much -closer affinity to plants than any other. They are occasionally very -sportive, and curious in their forms; and Dr. Johnston enumerates -fifty-six species belonging to our coasts; they are, however, unsuited -to the Aquarium in the present state of our knowledge; and when portions -of rock are collected on the shore, for the tank, care should be taken -to clear off any Sponge formations that are perceived, as their certain -and rapid decay would be liable to injure the condition of the whole -colony of the Aquarium. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - THE MOLLUSCS, ETC. - - -The curious floral forms of the Zoöphytes have, as yet, attracted the -greatest degree of attention among the constructors of marine Aquaria; -yet other forms of ocean life offer equal, if not superior, -opportunities for curious observation, and are equally well calculated -to bear the confinement of the tank. Among them all, none more than the -Molluscs, especially the shell-bearing division, which merits the -careful attention of the student of Nature, as forming some of her most -singular manifestations. - -The knowledge of the nature and structure of many of the most curious -shell-bearing Molluscs is of very recent date, with the exception of -those which possess obvious qualities which have fitted them for -articles of diet or commerce; such as the Oyster, Mussel, Cockle, &c., -as eatable species—and the Purples, Sepias, and Cuttle-fish, as -containing valuable dyes. With the exception of such as these, the -pearl-yielding Bivalves, and a few others, nothing was known, with a few -remarkable exceptions, of the animals that create and inhabit the -beautiful shells that have so long been ranked among the most elegant -objects of the cabinets of the curious. Many of these were, in fact, -scientifically classified by learned naturalists before the nature of -the animal, of which they formed the mere senseless husk, was even -guessed at. The ordinary collector did not even desire to know anything -of the creature which produced the shell he most prized; it was -sufficient for him that it was estimated as “rare” by his brother -collectors—rarity being a quality more highly prized than even beauty. -With this feeling, prices as great were given for single shells as ever -enthusiastic Hollander paid for a coveted bulb during the height of the -Tulipomania. No amount of guineas was too much, at a sale of shells, for -such a contested prize as a _Many-ribbed harp_, a _Gloria maris_, a -_Cedo nulli_, or a _Voluta Junonia_. But that race of idle -shell-fanciers has given place to a race of true conchologists, who are -investigators as well as collectors, and whose labours are daily -developing unexpected and valuable knowledge from those long obscure -pages of the great book of Nature. - -The marine Aquarium may be made the means of many curious discoveries -regarding the habits and organization of the shell-bearing Molluscs; -and, with this feeling, I may direct the attention to several of their -singular characteristics, in order that they may serve as clues to the -detection of others. - -The term Mollusc, from _mollis_, soft, is intended to express that the -whole class are invertebrate; that is, entirely without spine, or any -bony support to their curious fleshy forms. The term was invented by the -illustrious Cuvier, but is objectionable as a distinctive one, the -characteristic on which it is founded being shared by other distinct -classes of animals. When, however, the application of a term is well -understood, its inner signification becomes unimportant; it is, -therefore, now too late to criticise the one invented and applied by the -prince of modern naturalists. - -Among the interesting facts detected by recent science, it has been -shown that many of the seemingly shapeless masses of soft substance, -scarcely to be termed flesh, possess all the senses of the higher -animals. In the _Cephalopoda_, the organs of sight and hearing are both -well developed; and Professor Owen considers that the Nautilus possesses -even an organ of passive smell. The _Gasteropoda_ too, are, according to -Siebold, nearly all furnished with ears and eyes, the former organs -being described as forming round capsules, conspicuously visible near -the roots of the tentacles. - -Some of the _Conchifera_, also, are furnished with numerous eyes, which, -like those of the Scallops and Clams of our own shores, are also placed -among their tentacula. - -It appears probable, says Dr. Johnston, that many have also the sense of -taste, as they are observed to select particular articles of food in -preference to others, and there is no other sense that appears fitted to -regulate the choice. The mouth, as it is termed, of many of the -molluscous tribe is furnished, as among the _Gasteropoda_, with a fringe -formed of filaments, which may be organs of touch, and they have also a -complicated breathing apparatus. - -The strength of these boneless creatures is something very -extraordinary, and almost incomprehensible. The _Strombus gigas_, a -soft, snail-like creature, carries a shell which often weighs more than -five pounds; the _Cassis tuberosa_ supports one nearly as heavy, and the -naked Molluscs, that have no shell to carry, have other modes of -exhibiting strength of a very extraordinary character. - -The shells of the clothed Molluscs are senseless, being permeated by no -vessels, and are formed by the animal itself from a secretion with which -its outer integuments are invested, and which may be described as lime -in a state of solution. The thickened edge of the mantle, by means of -which the form is given to the shell, and the general manipulation -effected, is furnished, as may be seen with the aid of a moderate lens, -with a minute and highly sensitive fringe, the cilia of which are of -various colours, corresponding in tone and position to the tints which -decorate the exterior of the shell. The coloured cilia or fringes have -doubtless a dyeing power, which colours the calcareous solution at the -time it is added to the shell by their plastic instinct. The solution -becomes a hard testaceous substance so soon as it leaves the body of the -animal, and is deposited in architectural layers upon the beautiful -structure of the shell, by the “trowel” and “brushes” of the edge of the -mantle. - -This process is beautifully described in Jones’s “Animal Kingdom,” with -all the details relating to the successive ridges on the shell, which -mark the age of the animal; it having been ascertained what time is -required for the completion of each story of the edifice. - -The power of locomotion is one of the most curious subjects for -observation in the structure of shell-coated Molluscs, and for this -purpose the marine Aquarium offers many advantages. Other classes of -animals have been distinguished by the number of their feet; we have, -for instance, a tribe of worms termed centipedes, or hundred-footed -creatures; and, to pass over many gradations, to the superior -grass-feeding and carnivorous animals, we find them termed quadrupeds, -or four-footed creatures; while the human race, along with birds, has -been termed biped. Why, therefore, may we not coin a word for our -present purpose, and call these curious Molluscs monopeds, or -single-footed creatures?—for they walk with a single foot, being -compelled to do so by the very simple fact that they have no other. This -limb, or foot, being gradually protruded, its bearing against some -substance forces them forward, and when the foot has attained its full -distension it is drawn in, and a new bearing obtained, and by the -repetition of this process, a certain amount of locomotion is effected. -Some species float on the surface by means of this foot. Having crawled -up a rock to the height of the surface of the water, the foot is -protruded and exposed to the air, when it becomes suddenly dried, and in -that state serves as a cork, which enables the animal to float away -close under the surface of the water. But if any agitation of the water -wet this floating apparatus, or the animal withdraw it voluntarily -beneath the water for that purpose, the creature immediately sinks to -the bottom. - -The swimming power of this race of creatures is equally curious. The -_Cephalopoda_, by the ejection of a jet of water, propel themselves -rapidly in the opposite direction, and by the repetition of the jet at -regular intervals, a beautiful power of motion is obtained, as regular, -and with less labour than that of ordinary swimming by means of the -action of fins or other oar-like limbs adapted to the purpose.[3] The -_Pteropoda_, however, in their little shells, translucent as glass, swim -by the action of small fin-like paddles placed near the head. - - -[Footnote 3: Some species effect leaps by an analogous -contrivance—collecting water within the closed mouth, and then emitting -it at a gush from a small portion of the aperture, suddenly opened, -which propels the creature to a considerable distance, as it were, at a -single bound.] - - -The _Bivalves_ do not make so clever a use of their single foot as the -_Univalves_. The foot in this tribe appears to be furnished with a -terminal hook, which, when the foot is protruded, clings to some -substance, and the animal is drawn up to that point, when the operation -has to be repeated; this appears likely to produce but a slow rate of -progress, yet some of the sand-boring _Bivalves_ manage, when alarmed, -to conceal themselves with great rapidity by that means. - -The _Mollusca_, as feeders, are divided into three classes—those which -take only liquid food, the vegetable feeders, and the carnivorous -species. - -Those which are only able to take food in a liquid form, are such as -have no means of seizing prey, their food consisting of the countless -myriads of infusorial animalcules which float in the sea-water, and -which are carried into the orifice of the stomach or mouth by the -current. Of these, the _Dunicata_, _Brachiopoda_, and _Conchifera_, are -examples. - -The liquid feeders exhibit a very low form of molluscous life, but other -classes are furnished with means of defence and aggression, equal to -those of terrestrial quadrupeds, and much more extraordinary in their -form. Some of the carnivorous _Univalves_, for instance, feed upon the -_Bivalves_ by drilling a hole through the solid shell, and withdrawing -the animal piecemeal, as required. - -The _Eolis papillosa_ has been observed tearing away the tentacles of -different species of Sea-Anemone with extraordinary voracity, and the -tribe must therefore very evidently be excluded from the Aquarium. The -Cuttles, also, are to be avoided from the same cause; they are fierce -tyrants of the deep, that would make sad havoc among the delicate -creatures with which we delight to furnish our tanks of glass. The -curious substance termed Sea-Grapes, which are the eggs of this -creature, might, however, be placed in the tank, and the progress of -development watched, without fear of injury to the other inmates. - -The full-grown Cuttle is, nevertheless, so curious a creature that, in a -tank prepared with that special view, his habits might furnish food for -much curious observation—indeed, carefully fed up, he might form very -excellent food himself; his German name, _Kuttel_, signifying tripe, the -flavour of which his flesh is said to resemble. The common Squid, which -is eaten by the poor of our coasts, is a kindred species, and is also -said to have a similar flavour. Molluscs of this class, as well as the -disgusting-looking Poulp, or many-feet, are seen in profusion in the -markets of the south of Europe, and are as highly prized as the Oyster -with us. The ancients carried their taste for them so far as to feed -them up artificially; and at the nuptial feast of Iphicrates, one -hundred _Polypi_ and _Sepiæ_, as we are informed, were disguised with -different sauces, each imparting a different flavour. The land Molluscs -were also much sought as a table delicacy, a species of the large -Garden-Snail being bred for that purpose, and fed upon a prepared paste, -which so accelerated their growth that we learn, from the industrious -Pliny, of their attaining to enormous dimensions; the shells of some of -the finest being capable of holding eighty measures of water, called -quadrants. But in speaking of Molluscs, I must principally confine -myself to such as are suitable for an Aquarium. - -Among the Sea-Snails of our own coast, which are still eaten by the -lower orders, is the Periwinkle, considered by some superior in flavour -to the Oyster or Shrimp. This creature, the _Littorina littorea_, is one -of the most useful creatures in an Aquarium, cleansing it from all -decaying vegetation, which is its natural food. The Periwinkle varies -much both in size and colour, the ground tone of the shell being -sometimes red, orange, or even scarlet, sometimes with and sometimes -without handsome black bands. Such as are coloured in this attractive -manner should obviously be selected as inmates of the Aquarium, in -preference to the dull-coloured varieties; and a few of the small yellow -kind, _Littorina littoralis_, may be added by way of variety, though -they do not succeed so well in confinement as the other species. - -The Whelk, _Buccinum undatum_, another of the snail-like Molluscs of our -coasts, which is considered good eating by the lower orders, and often -seen on fish-stalls at particular seasons, is well worthy a place in our -miniature sea; especially under certain circumstances, when the shell of -this creature assumes a most singular aspect, well calculated to excite -the wonder of the young naturalist. It is sometimes found surmounted by -a mass of living substance, which might be taken for the body of the -creature, residing in preference on the roof of its dwelling during the -summer months, as it may be observed spreading a set of tentacles, from -a mouth-like orifice, for the collection of food. Within, however, a -pair of protruding eyes are seen glaringly on the watch for prey, and -another set of food-clutching machines may be noticed beneath them, -ready for their work, and only awaiting the opportunity. They look much -like the claws of a lobster, and if any suitable object comes within -their reach, it is seized by one or both of these two-fingered hands, -and carried to the yawning mouth beneath; but before it reaches that -evidently impatient receptacle, a brightly-shining crimson finger, -ornamented with two white stripes, darts from beneath those claws and -mouth, and, snatching away the rich morsel, disappears as suddenly as it -came, leaving the expectant mouth and astonished claws both empty. The -mystery of this seemingly compound creature having, as it were, a -first-self living outside the house and getting a separate living, a -second-self located in the front parlour, and prevented from eating its -own dinner by a third-self residing in the back parlour, may be easily -explained, now that the persevering observations of our naturalists have -solved it. It is as follows:— - -The internal dweller in the front parlour is the Hermit Crab (_Paguras -Prideauxii_), a creature seldom contented with its own pretty solid -habitation, but ever seeking some further protection, which it generally -finds in an empty Whelk-shell. It is, moreover, very particular as to -_fit_, and other details; for it has been observed, when looking out for -a house, to try and reject many before finally adopting an abode. The -inhabitant of the back parlour is the Sea-Worm, _Nereis bilineata_, a -creature which, instinctively knowing the voracious propensities of the -Crab, and determining to share his abundant feasts, seizes his -opportunity, when mine host of the Whelk-shell is pretty well surfeited -and in a semi-dormant state, to sneak past the dangerous claws into the -“back parlour,” which is the interior of the narrow spiral of the -shell—a form of apartment which affords him a most comfortable and -convenient home, in which, by the superfluous voracity of the Crab, he -is furnished with board as well as lodging. The external tenant of the -Whelk-shell is a parasitic Sea-Anemone, known as the Cloak-Anemone, from -its power of nearly enveloping the object to which it attaches itself, -by means of the extension of its stem or body. It is known in scientific -classification as _Adamsia palliata_, having been made a separate genus, -and its specific name ingeniously taken from that of the Roman cloak, -the well-known pallium of the classical writers. - -Almost invariably, when the Hermit Crab is discovered inside the -Whelk-shell, the _Adamsia_ is found outside; and the Hermit is seldom -without his dinner assistant, the prettily-striped _Nereis_. This fact -is so well known to fishermen, that when in search of this worm, which -is an excellent bait, they never fail to break the shells tenanted by -the Hermit Crab, and are seldom disappointed in finding the object of -their search in his company. - -Another parasitic Anemone, still more fond of travelling, the _Actinia -parasitica_, often selects the back of the Crab himself (generally -_Paguras Bernhardus_), and in that position is hurried along, in the -sidling gallop of his steed, in a way that must often prove -inconvenient; for in passing under ledges of rock, the Crab, doubtless, -only takes his own measure. Yet, in such cases, the Anemone probably -knows how to take care of himself; and when _Bernhardus_ becomes -skittish and adventurous, “draws in his horns,” as many other bold -spirits are obliged to do at certain crises of their career; and in this -state, presenting only a semi-spherical mass of tough leathery -substance, he can fearlessly allow himself to be driven beneath stony -archways, or under impending branches of the marine forests, by his -ferocious Jehu, with less chance of injury than the outside passenger of -a terrestrial stage-coach passing beneath the low gateway of some -inn-yard. - -Our largest native shell of the Whelk tribe is the _Fusus antiquus_, -often used by the Shetland islanders as a lamp; for which purpose it is -suspended horizontally, the cavity holding the oil, and the wick -projecting from the canal. - -The Whelks belong to the interesting family _Muricidæ_, some of which, -natives of our own coasts, are very pretty objects for the Aquarium. It -was the _Murex trunculus_ which yielded the Tyrian purple, different -species affording distinct tones of colour. In form, these shells are -somewhat like our common Whelk, but finely marked with broad, dark, -spiral stripes. The ancient mode of extracting the dye, as described by -Pliny, was verified by Mr. Wild, in 1838, in a very interesting manner. -In the neighbourhood of the site of the ancient Tyre, he found, in the -rocks on the sea-shore, a vast number of round cavities, evidently the -work of the hammers and chisels of long ages past. These cavities varied -in size, from that of a small flower-pot to that of a cauldron, and -round about them still lay scattered immense masses of the remains of -the shells and bodies of the _Murex_, in many instances aggluminated -together. They had evidently been pounded in those cavities, exactly as -described by Pliny, and the dye extracted according to the formulæ so -graphically detailed by the ancient naturalist. - -The _Purpura lapillus_ of our own shores yields a similar dye, and may -be kept in our Aquaria as a reserve bottle of “marking-ink;” for the -ingenious Mr. Gosse has shown how its dye may be thus used for household -purposes. The shell is a small white univalve, with one or more bands of -pale brown. It perishes on being immersed in fresh-water; and a thick -vein of yellowish white, near the head, contains the dye, which is a -liquid of a creamy thickness and of pale, indistinct colour. But if it -be painted in the forms required, as a cipher, or any other ornament, on -linen, or any other textile fabric, with a camel’s-hair pencil, and -exposed to the air, it rapidly assumes a yellow tone; which first -changes to green, then blue, till at last it becomes a full strong -indigo, exhibiting plainly all the forms that have been traced. A -crimson-red change next ensues, and the final colour, which is indelibly -permanent, is a reddish purple. - -There is also a large naked Mollusc, one of the _Aplysia_, that pours -forth, under excitement, a secretion of rich purple hue; but the colour -is considered valueless as a dye, from its extreme volatility, though it -is stated that it may be rendered permanent by means of nitric acid. - -The common _Planorbis corneus_, a shell coiled in the form of a ram’s -horn, has a similar property; but the colour of the fluid is still more -volatile. The purple liquid, however, contained in another of our native -shells (_Scalaria_) is very permanent. - -It is well known that the ink of the Chinese, which we term Indian ink, -is prepared from the Cuttle, and the Cuttles of the Mediterranean Sea -furnished the principal black inks and dyes of the Greeks and Romans. It -is a kind of _Sepia_, in fact, that still furnishes the rich brown -colour which bears the name of the animal from which it is derived. - -The common _Sepia vulgaris_ might form an appropriate specimen for a -marine Aquarium, many of its habits being singular; and its power of -enveloping itself in a cloud of its own rich dye may often be observed -when it is irritated by the presence of a real or fancied danger. It has -the faculty of propelling itself hither or thither by the emission of a -jet of water, as described in speaking of the locomotive power of other -Molluscs, with the additional faculty of guiding its motions by the -rapid movement of two fin-like paddles, which, when in agitation, -produce an effect not unlike the fluttering action of the wings of a -moth. This little _Cephalopod_ has large projecting eyes, and a group of -arms that hang listlessly down when the fins are in motion. It changes -colour fitfully and beautifully, exhibiting in the course of such -changes pretty metallic spots and rings, which appear and disappear, now -like gold, now like silver, as seen through a semi-opaque substance. The -whole creature is at one moment of a dusky gray tone, but fitfully -changes to white or deep brown when alarmed. These little creatures are -exceedingly voracious, and when one was observed by Mr. Gosse to seize -another of its own species, the victim shot out its defence of dark -black fluid. - -Some of the _Trochus_ tribe of shells look pretty in an Aquarium, but at -present their treatment is so imperfectly understood, that they do not -seem to do well. The specimens can, however, be renewed as required. - -_Trochus ziziphinus_, the pearly _Trochus_, the animal of which is of a -rich orange colour striped with black, moves freely about, and forms a -very attractive object. The animal of _T. granulatus_ is larger and -handsomer, but shy, and displays little activity in confinement. The -small _Trochus_, _T. cinerarius_, if placed in an Aquarium, may be -observed rasping down the minute Confervæ that grow on the inside of the -glass; and the curious method of the operation, and the singular -instruments with which it is performed, may be observed by the aid of a -small pocket lens. - -_Limpets_—those curious bonnet-shells, as they are termed in some -places, which are found in the form of a flattened and inverted funnel, -adhering closely to the flat rocks of the sea-shore in all the European -seas—are more curious than they appear at a first glance, and have -characteristics that well repay the labour of persevering observation. I -should always place a few in an Aquarium. - -The common Limpet (_Patella vulgata_) has a power, which appears -extraordinary when the soft substance of its body is considered, of -excavating, more or less deeply, a portion of the rock which it makes -its home. It is supposed to leave its hollow in the night, returning -infallibly to its home in the morning. This habit might be watched in an -Aquarium, and, if verified, a very interesting fact would be -established, which at present remains somewhat doubtful, although Mr. -Lukis, of Guernsey, marked a Limpet, and found it return to its haunt. -These creatures belong to the order named _Cyclobranchiata_, from the -breathing apparatus being arranged in a circle round the body. The -pretty British shell, vulgarly called the Ark of Noah, but which is the -_Arca tetagrona_, should be tried in Aquaria, as well as the elegant -Heart-shell of the beautiful genus _Isocardia_; the movements and habits -of the latter, as described by the Rev. J. Bulwer, being very curious -and interesting. - -The pretty little Cowry is an object that must not be passed over in -silence, when treating of objects fitted for the marine Aquarium, -although, in a little book of this extent, many others must of necessity -be omitted. This beautiful little creature, _Cypræa Europæa_, carrying -its porcelain-like dwelling on its back, is enabled to move steadily -along by the action of its single foot. When in action, the mantle, as -it is termed, which is the general covering of the body, is greatly -distended, and protrudes from the shell, which it perfectly encloses, -folding up at the sides, and meeting at the top, the joining being -scarcely perceptible, and the whole surface fitting so tightly to the -shell, that the little ribbings are seen distinctly through it. It is -curious to observe the act of respiration, and all the associated -phenomena of this wonderful little animal. The foot is pale orange, the -mantle delicate olive, spotted with black and studded with protruding -glands of yellow. It is, in short, when in a state of activity, a most -curious and beautiful creature, of whose appearance and habits -thousands, who only know and admire the deserted shell, can have no -idea. - -The bivalves, of which all are acquainted with at least one kind—the -delicious edible Oyster—offer many animals suited to Aquaria. The -curious Razor-shell, but for its habit of burrowing, would form a very -curious object; and the Cockles, from the rich colour of their beautiful -fringes, when the shells are partially opened for feeding and breathing, -are very beautiful objects. - -The means of movement of the common Scallop, or Cockle, and other -bivalves, by means of a single fleshy “foot,” have been described in -speaking of Molluscs in general; but the spinous Cockles, _Cordium -aculeatum_ and _C. tubercutum_, have been termed the aristocracy of the -Scallop tribe. The valves of the largest open three-quarters of an inch, -and the visible portion of the spongy-looking fleshy mantle is of a -pellucid orange colour; at the end is protruded a double tube, thick and -short, enveloped in a fringe of cirrhi or tentacles. The foot, which has -been compared to a tongue, is smooth, glossy, and semi-transparent, like -scarlet cornelian, and enables the creature to move about with great -activity in an Aquarium; some that were sent, by the Rev. C. Kingsley, -to Mr. Gosse, having startled that gentleman by the noise they were -creating among the pebbles and other objects of his tank, by their rapid -movements. - -Many other kinds of shells might be mentioned if space permitted, but I -must content myself with mentioning, _en passant_, the polished _Donax_, -which, when the animal displays itself, exhibiting its bright yellow -colouring, with its curious stripes and gay pink fringes, would form a -real ornament to the drawing-room sea; and just hinting at the -introduction of a specimen of the _Tritonia Hombergi_, remarkable for a -power of producing an audible sound like the click of a steel wire. - -The pretty little bivalve, the _Lima hians_, also forms a very -attractive addition to the Aquarium, especially in motion, when its long -orange fringes form a train or tail like that of a fiery comet, as Dr. -Landsborough has observed, as it glides along, propelled by the -discharge of a jet of water, the mechanism for the propulsion of which -forms its swimming apparatus. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - THE ASCIDIANS, BARNACLES, SEA-CUCUMBERS, - NAKED MOLLUSCS, SEA-WORMS, ETC. - - -A group of _Ascidians_ forms a very curious object for the Aquarium, -their forms being singular, and sometimes delicate as a transparent -egg-shell. The group delineated in Plate VII. will convey some idea of -the general appearance of these creatures, whose habitations might be -taken for a store of fairy pitchers, placed snugly in their submarine -china-closet for extra safety, and partially covered with sea-weed as a -further means of concealment. There are above fifty native species, -varying greatly in appearance. They may be found at the extreme verge of -low water, many having the aspect of pellucid bags, formed of a -substance between jelly and leather; while others present a far more -robust and rugged appearance, both in form and texture. Some are very -dingy in colour, but a few species—more rarely found—are very -attractive, and sometimes brilliant, in their hues. - - [Illustration: PLATE X. - - 1. Actinia crassicornis. - 2. A group of Serpula contortuplicata.] - -The Barnacles must not be omitted in furnishing an Aquarium, nor the -fable connected with the Common Barnacle (_Pentelasmis anatifera_), in -which it is affirmed that the Barnacle Geese were their offspring. Our -old naturalist Gerard not only gives a detailed account of the -transformation by which this wonder of the good old times was -accomplished, but positively illustrates his description with an -engraving, in which the metamorphosis is seen in progress. - -The tube-like cells of the _Serpulæ_ have some resemblance to the cells -of the Common Barnacle, but that of the solitary Serpula, _Serpula -tubularia_, is much taller, often rising a foot from the substance it -adheres to. The fan-like feathers forming the feeding, and, perhaps, -also the breathing apparatus, of _Serpula contortuplicata_, are -exceedingly rich in colour, as is also the member which acts as a “cork” -to the tube when the feather-like tentacles are withdrawn, and which is -familiarly termed the “stopper;” for when, on alarm, the feathers are -suddenly drawn in, the “stopper” immediately follows, shutting up the -opening of the tube in a very perfect manner. This organ is often of a -rich orange, and the feathers a brilliant scarlet, though they are -sometimes pale, or nearly white, as shown in Plate X. These fan-like -organs, termed feathers, appear to act as breathing organs, by -separating the oxygen from the currents of water which pass between -their fibres. The _Sabella_, an allied tribe, forms its tube of mud; -while that of the _Serpula_ is always of hard shell. The golden-combed -worm, _Amphitrite auricoma_, another singular creature of this class, -may be best alluded to in this place. Just below the cork-like head, -when it leaves its tubular shell, are the scarlet gills, slightly -resembling those of fishes, and across the head the golden comb-like -appendage is expanded, from which it derives its popular name. When the -animal retires within its tube, the upper part of the head has, like the -_Serpulæ_, all the appearance of a cork or small stopper. This creature -is one of the most curious of its class. - -The _Balani_, or Acorn-shells, which are generally parasitic, fixing -themselves to the shell of the Whelk or some other univalve, spread -their crimson tentacles when seeking food exactly in the manner of the -_Serpulæ_, the feathery filaments forming a kind of living casting-net, -as it has been observed, in which the minute _Annelid_ or _Infusory_ is -entangled and devoured. Two _Balani_ are represented in Plate VII. on -the shell of a common Whelk. - -The _Holothuriadæ_, or Sea-Cucumbers, are very singular creatures; their -form, as it floats in the waters, exhibiting as good a miniature -representation of a small pickled Gherkin as can be conceived, except in -colour, the shells or cases of these animals being generally white. One -of the species, _Hyalina_, has a case which seems formed of crisp -rice-paper, and is covered with spines of the same colour and texture. -The tentacula, or breathing apparatus, eight in number, are curiously -branched, and, when expanded, have the appearance of a skeleton flower, -of which the figure in Plate IX. will convey a tolerable idea. The -functions of this flower-like set of organs are probably the same as -those of the _Nudibranch_ class of _Molluscs_, which, though generally -considered as being a breathing apparatus, are, probably, at the same -time food-collecting organs, as all the creatures thus furnished are -liquid feeders. - -_Thyone papillosa_, one species of Sea-Cucumber, has ten branches to -this set of organs, which it seldom displays when in captivity; but a -little gentle motion artificially imparted to the water, as suggested in -another place, would probably produce the kind of excitement requisite -for their expansion, as the introduction of fresh water to the tank -seldom fails to produce this effect for a time. When irritated, these -creatures have the capacity of committing self-destruction in a most -determined and complete manner, by expectorating the whole of the -intestines and leaving their case or shell bare and empty. But Sir J. -Dalzell has observed that the shell thus deprived of its living inmate, -must be much more intimately connected with its life and organization -than the shells of the Molluscs; for after a considerable lapse of time, -he observed that the rejected parts have been renewed by gradual growth. -The introduction of a single drop of fresh water will at once drive the -creature to this summary mode of putting an end to the inconvenience. - - - OF THE NAKED OR SHELL-LESS MOLLUSCS. - -The Sea-Lemon, _Doris tuberculata_, is one of the most attractive. It -derives its popular name from its peculiar form, which is like that of -half a Lemon cut longitudinally. It is generally of a yellow tone of -colour also, which greatly adds to the fancied resemblance. It has its -breathing apparatus exposed externally, like other Nudibranchs, -spreading over the mantle, near the head, in a flower-like shape; and, -as it moves slowly round and round the Aquarium, forms a very singular -object. - -The _Doris pilosa_ is a pretty white species of the same order; and the -little black shining Nudibranch, _Runcina Hancoci_, is a pretty and -interesting creature. But the handsomest of the Nudibranch or -naked-gilled tribe, as the term might be Englished, is the _Eolis -corronata_, which forms certainly a splendid ornament to the Aquarium. -Its general colour is a pellucid indistinct tone, of pinkish hue, the -papillæ or branchiæ are in clusters, and the central canal is of a rich -crimson. Different parts of the surface reflect the brightest metallic -colours, and the whole creature has a very gem-like appearance. In -captivity it is very active. Another species of _Eolis_ has the power of -making a singular clicking noise, like the _Tritonia_. - -The _Aplysiæ_, or Sea-Hares, have been unenviably celebrated among their -congeners as containing a virulent poison. The species common in the -Mediterranean, _A. Leporinæ_, furnished the venom with which the -infamous Locasta destroyed the enemies of Nero; and with which she -eventually prepared, at the tyrant’s request, a draught for himself, but -which he had not the courage to swallow. The British species, _A. -hybrida_, might probably be kept in confinement. - -Many of the Sea-Worms are very beautiful. The _Nereis bilineata_ is very -brilliant, with its crimson body brightly marked by two white -longitudinal stripes. - -The _Phyllodoce_ are a class of Sea-Worms, somewhat resembling the land -Centipede, which form curious objects of observation when they are in -search of food. Instead of spreading a set of tentacles, like some of -the Zoöphytes and Molluscs previously described, they have the faculty -of turning the cavity which forms the stomach inside out, like a -stocking, the inverted organ protruding from its mouth to a considerable -distance, which, when it becomes sufficiently covered with the minute -Infusoriæ which form its food, is drawn in, assuming gradually its -natural position, where it remains till the nutriment so introduced has -been absorbed, when the operation is repeated. - -The Sea-Mouse, one of the largest and commonest of our marine worms, is -of a flattened and somewhat oval form, pointed at each end, its general -colour being pale brown. The clothing of silky hairs, however, with -which it is invested, is so splendid, glittering in iridescent colours -like the plumage of a humming-bird, that Lamark has appropriately named -it _Halithea_, or Sea-Goddess—Linnæus having previously given it the -name of _Aphrodite_, the Marine Venus. When, indeed, it receives the -rays of light, and reflects them from the depths of the sea, rich with -prismatic hues, the effect has been compared in splendour to that of the -peacock’s tail when outspread in the sunshine. When in the Aquarium it -crawls restlessly to and fro, as though anxious to exhibit its -splendours in every possible point of view; the metallic tinges, -changing with every position, being most magnificent by candle-light, -when red and orange hues predominate, while by day-light pearly greens -and blues are most frequent. - -The bodies of many of the _Euricidæ_ and _Nereidæ_ exhibit changing -colours of similar character, though less splendid; but many of them -possess an opal-like tenderness and delicacy almost equally attractive. - -The little Sea-Slug, _Ægines punctiluceus_, is a brilliant little -creature, well worthy the trouble of being permanently established in -our Aquaria. Its general colour is pale reddish-brown; but, with the aid -of a moderate lens, it exhibits a number of small black tubercles, in -the centre of each of which is a speck of resplendent blue or green, -forming a succession of gem-like ornaments that have been compared, by -enthusiastic naturalists, to sapphires and emeralds; but, without -exaggeration, the jewelry of this little creature may be said to surpass -that of the Diamond Beetle, notwithstanding his superior reputation. - -A few _Chitons_—a sort of Sea Wood-Louse—would do well in a tank; and a -specimen of _Gastrophæna modolina_ is said to have thriven well during -many months. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - THE FISH AND CRUSTACEANS OF THE AQUARIUM. - - -A marine Aquarium may be rendered very interesting without the -introduction of fish, and as their presence requires that the water -should be once each day aerated by means of additional water, introduced -by the syringe or by a drip, continuing for some time from another -vessel, many may prefer the lovely Sea-Weeds, curious Zoöphytes, and -beautiful Molluscs, alone; as, if the balance between the amount of -animal and vegetable life be felicitously balanced, and the natural -scavengers, in the shape of Periwinkles and other Sea-Snails, for the -consumption of decaying vegetable matter, and a few Prawns to perform a -similar office for perishing _Infusoriæ_, or any other animal matter, be -properly supplied—the tank may remain for a long time undisturbed, the -supply of oxygen being ample for the lower classes of animal life -alluded to. The beautiful _Actiniæ_, indeed, will exist in apparent -health for a considerable time in water in which no vegetable growth has -been introduced. Mr. Gosse describes instances in which the water in -glass Aquaria, containing Sea-Anemonies, has remained perfectly pure for -more than a year. - -The addition of fish, however, undoubtedly enlivens the general aspect -of an Aquarium very considerably; and many may not grudge the task of -daily aerating the water, in order to enjoy the cheerful spectacle of -their agreeable and ever-active movements. One or two young Flounders, -very small, and the young of other species of flat fish, add much -interest to an Aquarium, in consequence of their mode of swimming being -so different to that of the class of fishes with whose movements the eye -is more familiar. - -Among the fish mentioned by the most experienced in the keeping of Sea -Aquaria as best suited to that purpose, the first is the pretty little -Tansy, _Blennius pholis_, with its bright scarlet eyes, and the many -changing hues of its body. This little fellow will live and flourish in -a tank with a poorer supply of oxygen than any other fish yet tried. - -The fifteen-spined Stickleback, _Gasterosteus spinachia_, does well, and -is very cheerful and brisk in his movements. Three or four would be an -improvement to any tank. - -Young of the gray Mullet, too, do well; for if the supply of oxygen be -rather inadequate, they are observed to put their heads partly above the -surface of the water, and obtain an artificial supply in that -surreptitious manner. The black Goby, _Gobius niger_, has also been -tried with success; but his voracious character—devouring without -scruple even his own congeners—renders him on the whole not a very -desirable tenant; and yet it is a fine sight to see the little warrior -turn black when he seizes his prey, his turquois-coloured eyes dilating -with fury. - -Several other kinds are mentioned, in a previous page, in the list of -animals placed by Mr. Gosse in his first experimental Aquarium. - -The Pogge, _Aspidophorus cataphractus_, is a singularly formed fish that -might be added by way of experiment. The plate-armour in which his body -is clothed runs in regular longitudinal lines, showing eight sharp -ridges, running from head to tail, that have a singular and unfish-like -appearance. In confinement, however, he does not display himself to -advantage, generally lying near the bottom of the Aquarium. - -The beautiful crimson maculations of the Ancient Wrasse, _Labrus -maculatus_, render him a very desirable tenant; but his size—small -specimens being eight or nine inches long—causes him to be inconvenient; -and, moreover, he is difficult to manage, and would probably require -altogether a special treatment. One of the smaller Wrasses, however, -_Crenilabrus cornubicus_, is a desirable guest; his minute size, and -varying and often gay colours, rendering him very attractive. He is an -active and eager searcher for food, but never takes any loosely floating -object, only darting at and detaching such atoms as are attached to the -different species of Algæ. - -The Pipe-Fish, _Syngnathus acus_, is interesting in the tank, and also -the two-spotted sucker, _Lepidogaster bimaculatus_, a prettily coloured -and curious little fish, which has the faculty of attaching itself to -the side of the tank, or any other hard flat surface, by means of two -singularly-formed ventral fins, which act like the leather suckers by -means of which boys enjoy the sport of lifting heavy stones at the end -of a string. The spawn of this fish is like tiny amber beads, and is -attached to shells and other substances. - -Among the Crustacea fitted for an Aquarium, the common Prawn, _Palæmon -serratus_, holds the first rank. In the first place, his cleansing -properties, in devouring all decaying animal matter, are most important. -But not less interesting are his graceful movements: Now, he steals -stealthily over the pebbles or the fronds of the Algæ, with his long, -slender, hair-like horns in gentle motion, with all the seeming wariness -of a cat (the resemblance being increased by candle-light by the fiery -glare of the eye); next, leaving his walking apparatus, or legs, -inactive, he uses only the swimming members, which are larger and -flatter, and bordered with a compact fringe; agitating these instruments -with beautiful regularity, he rises in the water with graceful ease (see -Plate VI.), his semi-transparent body, as he rises, giving to his -appearance a strange and somewhat apparition-like aspect, which has -caused him to be compared to a marine spectre. - -The Prawn takes its food with its _second_ feet, two-fingered hands or -claws, and carries it to its mouth. The hands of the _first_ pair of -legs are only rudimental in appearance, but are precisely fitted to -their special purpose. They are his cleansing apparatus; and it is most -interesting to watch the operations of his toilet when he uses these -fringes as brushes, with which he cleanses his whole person most -thoroughly, being almost unmerciful in the amount of severe scrubbing to -which he subjects himself. - -An allied species, _P. squilla_, is scarcely distinguishable from _P. -serratus_; but the handsome scarlet-striped Prawn, _Pardulus -annuticornis_, about the size of a Shrimp, is quite distinct, and would -make a valuable addition to the collection. The Lobster Prawn, also, -_Athanas nilescens_, has likewise been tried. - -Some kinds of Crabs may be admitted, but not many; for several are -extremely voracious, and would soon clear off all the naked Zoöphytes -and most of the Molluscs. - -The Climbing Crab, _Eurynome aspera_, is interesting in a tank from his -habits. His climbing is as graceful and skilful as that of a monkey, and -when he has succeeded in perching himself upon the highest object in the -tank, he forms a picturesque object. - -Crabs, like Prawns, are sea-scavengers, and the kinds that do not attack -living creatures as well as dead are consequently useful in a tank. The -great Fiddler Crab, _Portunus puber_, is remarkably handsome. He is -clothed, in part, with a velvety brown fur, and the bare places of his -shell are of a shining black. His eyes are marked with scarlet, and -there are a few touches of bright blue about the head. If introduced, -his proceedings should be carefully watched. - -There should certainly be a specimen of the Hermit Crab in a -Whelk-shell; and the Cleanser Crab, _Portunus depurator_, has been -tried, but these active and greedy Sea-Spiders must be closely looked -after. - -It remains to speak of the Star-Fish tribe, which affords some of the -most beautiful and easily managed subjects for the Aquarium. - -In the centre of the lower part of Plate VI. are a large and a small -specimen of the beautiful scarlet species, _Geniaster equestres_; just -above, to the right, the graceful pink _Cribella oculata_; further to -the right, _Asteria gibbosa_; and immediately above the _Cribella_, the -thin, leathery species, the bird’s foot Sea-Star, _Palmipes -membranaceus_. All these species are small, easily managed, and -especially suited to the Aquarium; as is also the finely-marked and -long-rayed _Ophicoma rosula_, his deep scarlet, with bright black marks, -and his slender limbs or rays, rendering him a conspicuous object. These -Star-Fish glide round the Aquarium, by the aid of their thousand -sucker-like feet, in a very interesting manner. - -All the true Star-Fishes, the _Asteriæ_, have the body divided into -rays, like a star, and are furnished with sucking feet, or _cirrhi_, -which are tubular, and filled with water. The internal structure of -these creatures is very intricate and beautiful, and the skeleton of -almost any kind offers the appearance of that of some exquisitely -symmetrical flower. There are fourteen British species of Star-Fish, the -finest being the Sun-Star, _Solaster papposa_, the disk, surrounded with -twelve or thirteen rays, varying in colour from scarlet to deep purple, -the rays being sometimes of a different colour. - -The _Luidia fragilissima_ is also a large kind, sometimes two feet -across, which is peculiar to the British shores. It possesses the -peculiar faculty of breaking itself into fragments when enraged or -captured; and, in a work by the lamented Professor Forbes, there is a -very graphic and facetious account of a specimen that escaped him in a -very determined way by a suicide of this kind. - - [Illustration: PLATE VI. - - 1. Edwardsia vestita. - 2 & 3. Geniaster equestres. - 4. Cribella oculata. - 5. Asterina gibbosa. - 6. Palmipes membranaceus. - 7. Palæmon serratus.] - -Stars of this class, having the power to dislocate their structure, are -popularly known as brittle Stars. Some affect to consider this faculty -not so very wonderful; but let such suppose for a moment some higher -animal—a man, for instance—gifted with a capacity for exploding his -trunk and limbs into moderately-sized fragments—into joints, as a -butcher would say—at any slight provocation, and then the character of -such a power would appear very sufficiently extraordinary. It is -possible that the fragments of the disruptured Star-Fish have the power, -in each separate fragment, of renewing the absent portions, and that -each portion thus becomes a perfect fish, the dissevered portions having -been noticed to retain their vitality long after their separation. We -know that the little Garden Lizard has the power of dislocating his tail -without effort, and leaving it between the thumb and finger, when he is -playfully caught by that appendage; and, also, that he has the power of -renewing his caudal extremity within a very short period. It is thought, -therefore, not impossible, reasoning by analogy, that the Star-Fish may -possess powers of a similar kind, of a somewhat more extensive -character. - -The Amnion Star-Fish, called sometimes Five-fingered (_Asterias -rubens_), belongs to the division _Echinodermata_, that is, skinned like -the Hedgehog. - -The Sea-Egg, Sea-Urchin, or Egg-Urchin, as it is sometimes called, -belongs also to the _Echinodermata_, or Hedgehog-skinned class, and form -interesting objects in the Aquarium; the flat species exhibiting much -more evidently their close affinity to the Star-Fish tribe, than those -of the more common spherical form. - -To revert to other classes that occur to me as suitable objects for an -Aquarium, I may mention the “Red-noses,” as they are graphically termed -(_Saxicava rugosa_), a colony of which, peeping out of their holes in -the rock, would form a very striking object; and if a piece of their -native rock could be detached sufficiently deep not to disturb them in -the recesses of their tube-like burrows, their removal “_en bloque_” -would not be difficult. When touched, the Red-nose squirts a stream of -water at you in defiance, and darts back into his cavern. He is a small -bivalve, having his inner or immediate home within two rough brown -shells. The double-tubed proboscis with which he is furnished is -extended, when in search of food, to the mouth of his cave, in which -position the appearance of its ruddy terminus has given to this tribe -the characteristic name of “Red-noses.” How he contrives to bore a hole -in the solid rock, with any of the soft pulpy members with which he is -furnished, appears a mystery. Other Conchifers have, however, similar -capabilities, their ingenuity not being confined to rocks, and their -industry not being always harmless. Such, for instance, is that of the -Teredo, or Ship-worm, a species of which has long proved so inimical to -the formation of a Russian fleet in the Black Sea—the late war having, -however, proved a far more serious impediment to the development of that -portion of the Russian navy. - -The Sea-Leaf, formed of twenty thousand or more cradles for young -Polypes, is also a curious object. It is the Polyzoön, sometimes called -the Hornwrack. - -A few of the translucent Medusæ, in a young stage of their existence, -might be procured and tried, though their transport would be difficult; -and a group of creatures, of the genus _Zoöthamnium_, forming, as they -do, an object like a little tree of glass, covered with trumpet-shaped -bells, of the same crystalline aspect, each exhibiting its rotating -circle of minute cilia in rapid motion within, would form a singular and -beautiful complement to the wonders of the Aquarium, if its removal from -its native depths, and its location in its new home, could be -successfully managed. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - CONCLUSION. - - -In conclusion, a few general remarks may be made, the observance of -which will usually ensure success in the formation of an Aquarium. In -the first place, if the vessel in which the Aquarium is to be -established be home-made, care must be taken not to use any cement that -has a disagreeable smell—which would be very soon fatal to creatures -accustomed to the pure waters of the ocean. Scott’s cement is said to be -better than putty, for fixing in the glass to the columns at the angles. - -If cement be used to fix the rock-work of the miniature marine -landscape, let it be the best Portland cement, which, when dry, must be -soaked by filling the vessel with water, and the water changed several -times before the tank will be fit for use. - -The best sand for the artificial beach, or bottom, is the Thames’ sand, -used by builders; but this must be washed several times, till the water -runs off quite clear, before it is fit for use—any other kind of sand, -if that cannot be procured, must be submitted to similar washings. -Sea-water can be procured by furnishing the steward or captain of any -Thames steamer, or the guard of a railway in connection with the coast, -with a clean barrel; the charge, in either case, for carriage and -trouble, would not exceed two or three shillings. - -The artificial salt water has been found sufficient for Zoöphytes, but -not for fish and other of the higher class of marine animals, except for -a certain given time. - -The composition for artificial sea-water is as follows:— - - Common salt 3-1/2 oz. - Epsom salts 1/4 oz. - Chloride of magnesium 200 grs. } troy. - Chloride of potassium 40 grs. } - -To these are added four quarts of water, and when the salts are -thoroughly dissolved, say on the following day, the liquid must be -filtered through a sponge; it is then fit for use. - -Care must be taken to observe whether, when the sun shines and the light -is bright, the silvery bubbles of oxygen form upon the fronds of the -marine vegetation; and if not, it is certain that the marine plants are -not in a healthy state, and must be renewed. - -Mr. Gosse gives the following final directions as to the class of -animals and plants that should be selected in preference for the -experiments of beginners. - -With regard to sea-weed, he observes, do not take Oar-weeds or Tangle; -all the Fuci are of a slimy nature, which it is difficult to manage, and -as their size is inconvenient, and they have but little beauty, their -absence is not to be regretted. - -Of animals, he says, take:—_Of Fish_—Blennies, Gobies, Wrasses. _Of -Mollusca_—Aplysia, Periwinkle, Chitons, Scallops, and Burrowing -Bivalves, such as Venus, Pullastra, &c. _Of Crustacea_—Eurynome, -Portunus puber, Carcinus mænas, Ebalia, Corystes, the Paguri, Porcellana -platycheles, and the Crangones, the Palæmones, that is, Shrimps and -Prawns. _Of Annelids_—Pectenaria, the Sabellæ, and the Serpulæ. _Of -Zoöphytes_—the Madrepores, and _all_ the Actiniæ. - -Few will establish an Aquarium without deriving great mental -improvement, and the enlargement of their circle of acquirement, in a -direction highly calculated to develop some of the best and highest -feelings of our nature. Even the scientific cannot fail greatly to -enlarge their sphere of knowledge in this new, and almost untrodden, -field of research. The entomologist, sighing that there are no new Tiniæ -to add to his already enormous list, no new Curculios with which to form -another volume to the already portly series—these and other -physiological Alexanders, weeping for new regions to subdue, may hail -the Aquarium as a fertile source of further conquests; for, -notwithstanding the numerous and curious discoveries of recent -investigators, the depths of the ocean are as yet, comparatively -speaking, one of the untrodden fields of science; and a glorious arena -it presents—the Aquarium being one of the fairest channels for the -detection of its myriads of yet hidden mysteries. - -The marine Aquarium is, as yet, a plaything, a mere toy; but it is -destined to become a far more important means of advancing science, and -ministering to popular instruction, amusement, and wonder, than is yet -dreamt of. It has yet to do for the ocean that which our menageries and -vast gardens, devoted to the service of natural history, have done for -the forests and mountains of the terrestrial portion of our planet. - -We shall yet have tropical Aquaria, in which the temperature and -qualities of the sea between the tropics will be so successfully -imitated, that the glorious shells of those regions will be exhibited in -living motion to our greedily-curious gaze; and fish gleaming with -unusual dyes—metallic azure, and silvery crimson—will dart and glide in -our tropic-tempered tanks, as in their own tropic ocean, for our delight -and gratification. We are now entitled to expect from science, that it -shall exhibit to us the wonders of the tropic deeps, as it has shown us -the glorious plumage and velvet-spotted furs of the denizens of its -terrestrial forests. - -This is, in fact, the only thing that remains for us to do, in making a -fitting popular display of the wonders of Nature, in order that we may -surpass the doings of the ancients in that field of popular instruction -and gratification. - -Even in the days of Cyrus, we learn from the graphic Xenophon and other -sources, that every eastern satrap had his “paradises,” in which the -most curious animals of distant regions were preserved in a state of -liberty, and in a manner suited to their natures, either for the sport -of hunting or for the curious gratification of the eye. - -The Romans, long before they had attained to the material wealth of the -modern nations of Europe, had exhibited to the people of their capital -all the noblest animals of Asia and Africa. Even the Giraffe and the -Hippopotamus were familiar forms to the Roman populace; while, with the -great modern nations of the west, the sight of these wonderful creatures -is but quite a recent gratification. It only remained to the ancients to -have exhibited a Titanic Aquarium, to render our triumph over their -labours in the field of popular natural history impossible. Had but a -Roman Warrington or Gosse developed the germ of such an idea, and an -Osler existed to furnish the glass—the Pompey, or Cæsar, or Crassus, -would not have been wanting to feast the eyes, both of patrician and -plebeian Rome, with an Aquarium measuring hundreds of feet in length, in -which the monsters of the deep would have been exhibited in deadly -conflict, and human divers, armed with net and trident, like the -retiariæ of their gladiatorial combats, would have encountered, beneath -the waters, the Shark, the Whale, or the Torpedo, to the shouts of -crowded circuses, the centre of which would have been a glass-walled -ocean. - -But a gigantic Aquarium is, fortunately, a feat that yet remains for -modern science to achieve, and which it will doubtless accomplish. The -day will arrive when we shall see the living Behemoth—the Titan of the -deep—rolling majestic in waves of his native element, perhaps pursued by -his cruel enemy the Sword-Fish, or harried by a shoal of Herrings, -graphically exemplifying to a London crowd the origin of Yarmouth -bloaters. Or we may see the dreaded Shark float round and round the vast -glass prison seeking his prey, and the Shark-hunter of the south seas -may be imported to exhibit his skill in a bloodless conflict—mocking the -attempts of the sea monster to seize him, as the Spanish matador plays -long with the infuriated bull; but without necessitating the same -catastrophe to the animal, defenceless against the specially-trained -skill of his human antagonist. We have already had our crystal palaces, -covering their acres, and filled with objects of art and wealth from -every quarter of the globe; it is not impossible, therefore, that we may -have crystal-walled seas, in which aquatic menageries will form the last -new object of fashion and wonder. - -For the present, however, the Aquarium is, as I have said, but a toy, -yet one full of pleasant instruction; and it doubtless contains the -germs of a development, the precise direction of which it is at present -difficult to guess. - - - THE END. - - - London: THOMAS HARRILD, Printer, Salisbury Square, and Silver Street. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s note: - -Plate caption numbering discrepancies have been retained to match the -Plate. - -List of Plates, ‘pink’ changed to ‘Pink,’ “The Pink Ceramium 47” - -Page 16, ‘georgeous’ changed to ‘gorgeous,’ “and the gorgeous colours” - -Facing page 34 (Plate XII), full stop struck following ‘Plate,’ “Plate -XII.” - -Page 41, comma inserted after ‘βρυον,’ “Bryon (βρυον), a moss” - -Facing page 48 (Plate III), full stop inserted after ‘multifida,’ -“Nemaleon multifida.” - -Page 59, ‘Zpoöhytology’ changed to ‘Zoöphytology,’ “known as -Zoöphytology.” - -Page 83, ‘aquainted’ changed to ‘acquainted,’ “all are acquainted with” - -Page 89, second ‘the’ struck, “spines of the same” - -Page 98, ‘his’ changed to ‘is,’ “he is difficult to” - -Page 108, ‘Zoophytes’ changed to ‘Zoöphytes,’ “Of Zoöphytes—the -Madrepores” - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Ocean Gardens. 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