12 



HARD W'ICKE ' S S CIENCE- G OSS I P. 



HOW TO MAKE A CHEAP AQUARIUM. 



AS no doubt most, if not all, of my fellow readers 

 are more or less interested in the keeping of 

 an aquarium, and thinking that possibly a great 

 many are deterred from owning one, on account of 

 the cost (as a good aquarium is quite an expensive 

 article), I forward complete and simple instructions 

 for making a good and reliable aquarium, which I 

 have made and found to answer each and every 

 purpose served by the most expensive trade arti< 



answer. I shall give the size that I have made, but 

 this matter ought to be left to the readers, as one 

 may want a large tank, while another may want a 

 small one. 



To make the bottom, we must have a sound, solid, 

 and well-seasoned piece of black-walnut, let it be 34 

 inches in length, iS inches in width, and 2 inches 

 thick ; this board should be nicely planed on the top, 

 and then accurately squared, as shown at A and 'VY . 

 Then cut a hole one inch square in each corner, as at 

 B. These should be one inch and a half deep, and 



Fig. 6. — A Cheaply-constructed Aquarium. 



Fig. 8. — Posts of Aqi;arium. 



Fig. 7. — Bottom for Aquarium. 



I must here admit that there are some points in 

 the work which require some very delicate "tool 

 handling," but as I myself am no carpenter nor 

 joiner, it is no doubt possible that any young man, 

 with a slight mechanical turn, can do likewise, and 

 bring forth quite an excellent tank, if my directions 

 are followed. In making the drawing (although no 

 artist), I have used the utmost pains, so as to be very 

 plain, and strictly reliable in every particular. 



In making this aquarium, I found that the wood 

 best suited for the purpose is well-seasoned black- 

 walnut, although almost any well-seasoned wood will 



be sure to have the sides of the holes absolutely per- 

 pendicular, so that the posts, E, will each be at right 

 angles to the bottom, A. The one-inch chisel I have 

 found to be the best tool for the purpose of cutting 

 out the holes. In order to find the exact spots to- 

 cut out, make a set of lines one inch and a half 

 from, and parallel with the four sides, as at CCCC, 

 then make a second set parallel with the first set, but 

 one inch from them, as at DDDD, and this will give 

 the four squares, lilJHB, which are to be cut out. 



The next step is to cut grooves which are to hold the 

 glass. Draw a line as denoted by the clotted lines in. 



