278 INCREASE OF ANIMALS. 



water In tlie Tank to which I refer — one near the 

 centre of the house — has been untouched since June 

 1855. There are now to he seen in it, a beautiful 

 plant of Chylocladia haliformis, consisting of several 

 fronds two inches and a half high, of the most lovely 

 pellucid crimson ; a small tuft of Ptilota jplumosa^ 

 and several fine bushes of a slender straight-tipped 

 crimson Cerammm (probably G. hotryocarpum) , one 

 of which is fully five inches broad, and three inches 

 high. All these have sprung up spontaneously, and 

 are truly the ornament of the Tank, and the triumph 

 of the principle on which the Aquarium is formed. 



Increase of Animals. — Among animals, the Ac- 

 tinice readily produce their young in captivity : the 

 FORAMINIFERA increase with me abundantly : Hydra 

 tuba propagates by gemmation, and in the Zoological 

 Gardens has, I believe, produced the Medusa. The 

 Campanulariadce extend their threads, and form 

 numerous cells : a species of Lomhrinereis, a little 

 Worm apparently undescribed, is produced in my 

 Tanks by thousands : Sahellce, Serpul<B and Spirorhes 

 appear unexpectedly : the microscopic Kotifera, as 

 Furcularia, Monura, and particularly the pretty 

 Brachionus Millleri, breed freely, as do also several 

 species of Entomostraca. The Polyzoa spring 

 up spontaneously: in the Gardens some magnifi- 

 cent specimens of Ascidia, as well as Botryllus, have 

 appeared : the Periwinkle and the Mussel breed with 

 me ; and I have reared three successive generations of 

 a large mollusk, — Bidla hydatis, and have now the 

 spawn which is destined to produce the fourth. 



No doubt these lists will soon be greatly increased. 



