2IO 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



those of the Paradise. They have only 

 recently been introduced and I have 

 not yet had opportunity to give them 

 much study, nor can I at this time 

 give a justifiable description of all their 

 habits, but will do so at some not dis- 

 tant future time. 



I would be pleased to give any fur- 

 ther information on the breeding and 

 rearing of the Paradise fish, if so de- 

 sired. 



The "Care" of All-Glass Aquaria. 



BY EDWARD F. BIGELOW, SOUND BEACH, 

 CONNECTICUT. 



The best way to care for glass tubs or 

 cylindrical aquaria ( and also glass 

 globes) is to leave them tenderly without 

 a regret at non-possession on the shelves 

 of the dealer. This first paragraph was 

 written last. 



* ; i : * ■£ ~'fi $s ^ ^ 



I had an experience. I received sev- 

 eral by freight, all well packed in straw 

 and in perfect condition. I placed them 

 on a table, not even washing them. The 

 next day one was hopelessly cracked or 

 at least so badly cracked that it is useless 

 for its prime purpose, but may be partly 

 filled with gravel or earth and "do" for a 

 vivarium or terrarium. The next day 

 along comes a professor, biological pro- 

 fessor of extended experience, and re- 

 marks : 



"That's the way they go. We lost 

 dozens of them and wondered why. We 

 supposed there was a certain percentage 

 of mortality and disappointment sure to 

 occur. So there may be, but one day, by 

 chance, T discovered the cause of most of 

 the breakages. The assistant girl had 

 washed several and set them to dry in a 

 row. I was seated at a desk not far 

 away. Snap, snap, went two of them 

 plmost together. There had been a sus- 

 picion of a theory in my mind that a 

 cylindrical aquarium must be wholly wet 

 or wholly -Vy. 1 went to the two that 

 ItmI broken nnd found them dry on one 

 side and still wet on the side where the 

 cracking began. To prove the truth of 

 my theory, 1 took several from stock 

 and put them in a row on a table. T 

 moistened one side with a damp cloth. 

 a^d sure enough these went to pieces. 

 We saved the others by at once wining 

 dry the wetted parts. And look." he 



said, pointing to my broken aquarium, 

 "that further verifies my theory. See 

 where the water trickled along the bench 

 from the dripping pet cock and wet one 

 edge of the bottom. It would have been 

 saved if you had only put in a little 

 water in the aquarium ; even just enough 

 to cover the bottom would have been all 

 right for the uneven drying or wetting 

 seems not to be disastrous if the other 

 side is all wet, due to the nneven ex- 

 pansion and contraction." 



"Simplicity itself," I said, and then I 

 thought all sorts of bad things (perhaps 

 let out a word or two) about the dealers 

 and experts who had not told me about 

 this little trick. And then I thought, as 

 I had lost several in the past ten years, 

 why hadn't I generalized and theorized 

 and deduced an explanation. \ too 

 might have had credit for a little insight 

 into causes and effects. 

 * * * * * * * * 



The next morning I starter! to "fit 

 up." I took a perfectly sound cylindrical 

 jar of the largest size in the lot. It wa-3 

 perfectly dry on the outside, but, a la 

 the professor, had been filled the day be- 

 fore with water to the depth of about 

 two inches. "Just enough to keep it 

 from breaking." I took it into the best 

 room in the house, placed it on a choice 

 ornamental mat on a table by the window 

 in the sunlight. I carefully arranged grit, 

 pebbles and plants, and then stepped back 

 to the rear of the room to admire the 

 effect. I left the room. I soon returned. 

 What, what! What's the matter? It's 

 dripping. Must be a leak or perhaps a 

 little water spilt where I set it. I took 

 hold of the top to move it. W-h-i-sh-h, 

 sl-u-s-h, sm-as-h, rush ; a deluge. I and 

 the floor — everything. The top parted 

 company with the base. Then I cleaned 

 uw Oh, what a mess! It was a job. no 

 mistake. ( )h, what a floor ; what a room ! 

 Oh! 1 'Mdn't realize that there was a 

 barrel of water and a wheelbarrow load 

 of grit in that aquarium. Then I sat 

 down to think about it. In the midst of 

 my meditations a voice inquired solicit- 

 ously. "What's the matter?" 



"( )h, nothing much. Just soliloquiz- 

 ing on a story I read of a man who 

 trained a son in strictest of discipline, 

 and the son went to the bad. Another 

 man thought to profit by that example. 



