MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 67 



article, in his papers on Serpents, in the "Leisure Hour" for last year. 

 The correspondent in question states as follows: — "A day or two since, a 

 young man, on whose veracity I can perfectly rely, informed me that two or 

 three weeks ago, he met with a female Viper and young, who immediately 

 on their being alarmed, entered their mother's mouth, whence he drew them, 

 to the number of six or eight, after he had killed the reptile. This 

 occurred at Shidfield, in Fareham, Hants., and the young man informs me 

 that he has heard from others in the same neighbourhood, that they have 

 noticed the same remarkable fact, which may now be considered indispu- 

 table." — From the "Leisure Hour," forwarded for insertion by G. T. Oldfield, 

 Esq. 



Filling and Emptying an Aquarium. — Not having read in any works on 

 Natural History anything like the plan I pursue, of filling and emptying 

 an Aquarium, and thinking it may be useful to some of your readers, I 

 propose giving you a short description of it. I employ a small gutta percha 

 tube, of one-fourth inch bore, more than twice the height of the Aqua- 

 rium in length, as a siphon, and having placed the vessel containing clean 

 water on a higher level, one end of the tube is inserted and filled with 

 water, by suction or otherwise, at the other end, out of which it will 

 run, at a speed proportioned to the depth it is held below the end in 

 the clean water; thus the Aquarium may be filled as gradually as can 

 be desired. For emptying, the siphon is still more useful, as the gravel 

 may be stirred up by the short leg, so as to raise the sediment, which 

 will pass up the tube. By this means much trouble may be saved over 

 the ordinary plan. For aerating the water, attach a pair of common blow 

 bellows to one end of the tube, which should either be expanded to fit 

 the nozzle, or else attached by a short piece of vulcanized India-rubber 

 tube. The other end of the tube may advantageously be fitted with a 

 glass nozzle, having an aperture of one-eighth or one-twelfth of an inch; 

 this may be directed to any hole or corner, and the whole aerated con- 

 veniently in a short time. For emptying rock pools the siphon will be 

 found of great advantage, as the water may be withdrawn to almost the 

 last drop, without rippling the water or disturbing the inhabitants, and by 

 hanging a muslin net on the long end, every living thing contained in 

 the water may be caught. The tube for this purpose should be of two or 

 three inches bore, and for convenience in carrying may be in short lengths 

 united by vulcanized India-rubber. This capacity of tube cannot be filled 

 by suction from the mouth, but one end should be stopped, and water 

 poured down the other until full, and then plunged into the pool. Thirty 

 feet is the minimum length for such a siphon, but the longer the better. 

 During the past summer I tried to empty a pool on Lihon Island, with 



