2 2 THE HIS TOR Y OF AQUA KiA . 



The Manchester Aquarium was the largest inland 

 institution of the kind, before that at Westminster 

 was built. It was opened to the public in 1874, 

 and for a long time was under the direction of 

 Mr. Saville-Kent, F. L. S. The main portion of 

 the building occupies a superficial rectangular area 

 of 150 feet in length, by 72 in breadth. At each 

 extremity of the saloon are placed the two largest 

 tanks. These occupy the entire width of the room 

 40 feet ; so that they are capacious enough to con- 

 tain living animals of considerable size. The total 

 number of tanks at present existing is sixty-eight. 

 These have a linear frontage of nearly 700 feet, 

 which approaches very nearly the total frontage 

 of the Brighton tanks. It is contemplated adding 

 a series of tanks between the arches separating 

 the saloon from the corridors so as to raise the 

 total number to one hundred. This would eive 



o 



an additional frontage of 224 feet, and so far 

 would render the Manchester Aquarium the most 

 extensive in this respect. In addition to the above, 

 there is a number of octagonal table tanks for fresh 

 water and the smaller and rarer marine animals. 



The Southport Aquarium was opened the same 

 year as the latter. It is well situated in the town, 

 which may be regarded as the " Brighton " of the 

 Lancashire coast The climate here is milder than 

 anywhere in Lancashire, so that it is a place to which 

 invalids resort in the winter hence the " Winter 



