4 THE ACTION OF LIGHT UPON PLANTS. 



with marine inhabitants the other tanks which the 

 Zoological Society proposed to devote to this object 

 that I proceeded again to the coast. The prosecution 

 of that employment during the months of May, June, 

 and July, in the course of which upwards of five thou- 

 sand specimens of animals and plants passed through 

 my hands, made me acquainted with many curious 

 facts in their economy and habits, and with many in- 

 teresting traits in their history, which are not recorded 

 (so far as I am aware) in works of science. 



The facilities for observation thus afforded me have 

 been augmented by means of Aquaria of various forms 

 and sizes, which I have had made for my own private 

 use, and of which I shall have occasion to speak in the 

 following pages. In them I could mark with leisure 

 and precision the manners of the creatures that were 

 living at home, yet constantly under my eye. 



Considering the novelty and curiosity of the exhi- 

 bition thus offered to the public, and the popularity 

 which it achieved, it may not be uninteresting to 

 treat of a few of the more prominent objects in detail, 

 and of the modes in which they were collected. We 

 generally feel an interest in knowing somewhat of the 

 antecedents of any person or thing that strongly at- 

 tracts our attention ; and in the present case more than 

 idle curiosity may be gratified, since the record of my 

 experiences may be useful to others in forming similar 

 collections, either for public exhibition or for private 

 study. 



The idea of maintaining the balance between animal 

 and vegetable life on chemical principles is not quite 



