14 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Russian zoologist noted enough if one were to give his name is 

 taking the opportunity of examining for the first time a clump of 

 living crinoids. 



The aquarium is altogether a modern institution, dating back 

 scarcely more than a third of a century. Its practicability appears 

 to have first been prominently brought before the public by an 

 Englishman, Mr. W. Alford Lloyd, who during the sixties took 

 an active part in the founding of the aquariums of Paris (that of 

 the Jardin d' Acclimation), Hamburg, Hanover, and of the Crys- 

 tal Palace, then the most famous of all. In fact, it was notably due 

 to his efforts that throughout Europe aquariums became fashion - 



The Naples Aquakium. 



able, to a degree indeed which caused the great cities to vie with 

 each other in their prompt efforts to build and equip them. In 

 those early days the style of the buildings was prevalently grotto- 

 like. To see the fishes one was to be given the impression of actu. 

 ally going deep into the sea by descending first into a cavern^ 

 down rock-cut steps to the murmur of trickling (if very artificial) 

 brooks. These early aquariums, of great interest from the stand- 

 point of naturalism, were at first exceedingly popular, amply re- 

 munerating their stockholders when organized by private capital. 

 Some of these, however, owing in nearly every instance to inju- 

 dicious management, came later to deteriorate, and after becom- 

 ing concert halls, or adding- circuslike attractions, have ultimately 

 failed. 



