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Zbc Hquanum. 



WE have often heard microscopists express a wish to start an 

 aquarium ; but they always seem to be deterred from doing 

 so under the erroneous impression that it will entail too 

 great a tax on their spare time. We have assured them that this 

 is not the case ; but our remarks have been received with a 

 TAomas-like belief. We are, therefore, very glad to have 

 received the permission of the Editor of the British and Colonial 

 Druggist to reproduce the following article, which has just appeared 

 in the British and Colonial Druggists^ Diary ^ an extremely elegant 

 and useful work : — 



" There must be many .... who have often desired to 

 follow some inexpensive ' hobby ' with which to beguile the casual 

 leisure they may have at their disposal. To those .... we 

 can recommend the starting of an aquarium as an unfailing source 

 of amusement and recreation. Those situated in large towns, 

 even in the heart of the metropolis, need not be debarred from 

 this pleasure, for all that is needed is one or two visits to a well- 

 stocked pond to procure an ample supply of material, both animal 

 and vegetable. For Londoners we know of no happier hunting- 

 ground than that known as the ' Leg of Mutton Pond ' at the 

 bottom of the West Heath at Hampstead. From it we have 

 obtained almost all the animal life mentioned in this paper, includ- 

 ing many rare species ; most of the plants are also to be procured 

 in it, or in the ponds in the near neighbourhood. 



First, as regards the position of the aquarium. This should 

 be placed in a good daylight, diffused, but not too strong ; other- 

 wise, confervse will grow too rapidly. ... 



In arranging our stock, we have always preferred the natural 

 objects that are to be obtained from any pond or stream to the 

 conventional plants and animals . . . which are, to our mind, 

 uninteresting and commonplace. One friend [a pharmacist] for 

 whom we installed an aquarium containing, inter alia, a score or 

 two of lively tadpoles, had the pleasure of hearing one of his 

 juvenile customers remark that ' Mr. X had a lot of his pills swim- 

 ming about in water with tails to 'em/ .... The first point 

 to be attacked is the bottom soil, in which to grow the plants ; i 



