THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



antagonist of all the earth refreshing it throughout 

 its broad domains, keeping its waters wholesome 

 filled with air, and thus adapted to afford the means 

 of respiration to the living things that flourish in its 

 vast recesses. It is evident, that it is only by imitating 

 the conditions observable in Creation that we can 

 ever hope to succeed in our attempts at keeping alive 

 and in health for any lengthened period animals that 

 we desire to preserve in our Vivaria, and it is not 

 difficult for the observant mind to perceive how those 

 conditions are to be fulfilled. Water itself, while in a 

 stagnant state, affords no air such as can be respired 

 by any animal. To fill it then with atmospheric air, 

 or oxygen, the purer element, must be the first essen- 

 tial ; secondly, to keep it stored with food adapted to 

 the nourishment of those creatures that we place in it, 

 is as imperatively requisite. The storms that tempest 

 ocean, " making the sea to boil like a pot," effect the 

 former condition by commingling the air of the 

 atmosphere with the waters of the sea. The vegeta- 

 tion which clothes the rocks and carpets the shallows, 

 or floats through every region, when exposed to sun- 

 shine, as we all well know, pours forth oxygen gas in 

 abundance sufficient to replace that which is con- 

 sumed by respiration, and moreover yields such ample 

 stores of food as will supply all the vast hunger of the 

 mighty deep. With these two grand facts before us, 

 it is manifest upon what principles an Aquarium ought 

 to be established ; how those principles may be put in 

 practice must be the next object of our inquiry. 



It is easy to enunciate a broad fact ; but the appli- 

 cation of it is a very different thing. Mankind knew 



