106 REVIEWS. 



which it will, doubtless, accomplish. The day shall arrive when we shall 

 see the living behemoth — the Titan of the deep — rolling majestic in waves 

 of his native element, perhaps pursued by his cruel enemy the sword-fish, 

 or harried by a shoal of herrings, graphically exemplifying to a London 

 crowd the origin of Yarmouth bloaters ; or we may see the dreaded shark 

 float round and round the vast glass prison seeking his prey, and the shark 

 hunter of the South Seas may be imported to exhibit his skill in a blood- 

 less conflict — mocking the attempts of the sea monster to seize him, as 

 the Spanish matador plays long with the infuriated bull, but without neces- 

 sitating the same catastrophe to the animal, defenceless against the specially 

 trained skill of his human antagonist. We have already had our crystal 

 palaces, covering their acres, and filled with objects of art and wealth from 

 every quarter of the globe ; it is not impossible, therefore, that we may 

 have crystal-walled seas, in which aquatic menageries will form the last 

 new object of fashion and wonder." 



After this display of Mr. Humphrey's powers as a writer, any lengthened 

 notice of his other work, that on " River Gardens," must appear unneces- 

 sary. Like its companion volume, it abounds with erroneous notions and 

 unscientific explanations of vital phenomena. This, however, is the less to 

 be wondered at, for no good book has yet been written on the fresh water 

 aquarium. 



Thus are the beautiful lessons which the study of nature unfolds misin- 

 terpreted by those who are incapable of understanding them, and the writ- 

 ings of really painstaking and observing naturalists made to furnish infor- 

 mation to greedy and ignorant compilers. But we live in expectation of 

 better times, when such spoilers will cease to be encouraged in their evil 

 ways, and science reap many fruits from the application of the beautiful 

 principle on which the adjustment between animal and vegetable life is 

 ' known to depend. 



