68 



THK GUIDE TO NATURE. 



Ration 



WHY NOT START AX AQUARIUM? 



BY CHARLES M. GOETHE, (CORRESPONDING 

 MEMBER NO. 2OO3). SACRAMENTO, CAL. 



The opening spring is perhaps the best 

 and most interesting time of the year 

 for aquarium work. The needs are sim- 

 ple and inexpensive. First, you must 

 have a glass receptacle. An old fish 

 Sflobe, a s^lass battery jar, such as tele- 

 graph companies use, or even a Mason s 

 fruit jar, will suffice. Outside of this 

 all you need is some good clean sand 

 for the floor, and some pebbles, if your 

 jar is large enough. Next you must be 

 careful to keep the animal and vegetable 

 life balanced. For the vegetable life 



you will find it sufficient to have perhaps 

 a slip of "Wandering Jew," some of the 

 green, slimy plant which can be found 

 in ponds where water does not flow rap- 

 idly, and some "Duck Weed," that may 

 be found on the surface of almost any 

 still pond. 



For the animal life get plenty of 

 snails. You can catch these in almost 

 any still water. They are the scaven- 

 gers and will keep your aquarium clean. 

 Then put into the water whatever water 

 life you can find. If you have access 

 to a Comstock's "Insect Life" it will 

 help you with the names of the queer 

 tilings you will find in the water. You 

 are almost sure to find back-swimmers. 

 Learn why they have this name. Also 

 there will be a water boatman, and almost 

 anywhere in America you can find some 

 of the queer whirlagig beetles. You will 

 also find some of the diving beetles. 

 Watch how they carry their bubble of 

 air with them. Then, too, you will find 

 some of the water measurers. Learn 

 how they manage to run on the surface 

 of the water. Perhaps you will find the 

 larva of the damsel fly, and will be able 

 to learn how their gills are attached to 

 the cadual end of the body. Perhaps 

 you will find the larva of the dragonfly. 



See what you can find about his lower 

 lip and how he uses it to catch his food. 

 You will be almost sure to find some 

 water tigers, and you will find how they 

 get their name. 



Perhaps somebody may say to you that 

 an aquarium is not a healthy thing to 

 have around. I have had them in my 

 bedroom before I commenced sleeping 

 out of doors, and at no time was there 

 any unpleasant odor. There is no rea- 

 son why they should not be healthy, al- 

 though of course there is no reason why 

 you should keep them indoors, as there 

 is generally a place around almost any 

 house where you can have them. 



PRIZE OFFER. 



In a personal letter, Mr. Goethe 

 writes : 



"I enclose a check for five dollars 

 which I would be glad to have you offer 

 in one prize of three dollars and two 

 more of one dollar each, for the best 

 article on "What 1 Have Learned from 

 My Aquarium,' to be written by chil- 

 dren under, say twelve years of age." 



In accord with this offer, contribu- 

 tions are invited. The contest will close 

 September 1st. 



FIRTHFR PRIZE OFFERS. 



The Agassiz Association also offers 

 prizes as follows: first, a beautifully il- 

 lustrated book; second, a year's subscrip- 

 tion to "The Guide to Nature." For the 

 best and second best articles from nature 

 students above twelve years oi age on 

 any of the following topics : 



: Care of an Aquarium " 



"A Garden for Plants" (not for beauty 

 nor t< 1 eat). 



"Mosses and Lichens.' 



"Interesting Facts Regarding Pets." 



This is five topics, two prizes for each. 

 Gmtest closes November 1st. 



