

INTRODUCTORY. 



The Exhibition Aquaeium is an institution of quite recent growth, as its construction was 

 not commenced till 1884, when several small experiments were made as to the practicability 

 of establishing a salt-water Aquarium at such a distance from the coast. These experiments 

 were successful, and the Trustees of the Exhilntion Building considered themselves amply 

 justified in proceeding with the preliminary works, which have been added to from time to 

 time imtil the present result has been obtiiined. 



A great deal of 

 the success of tin 

 Aquarium has de- 

 pended on the per- 

 sonal interest whicli 

 has been taken in it 

 by the Trustees, who 

 have, individually and 

 collectively, given a 

 vast amount of time 

 and attention to fur- 

 ther its advancement 

 and render the v^arioiis 

 arrangements perfect. 



Exhaustive inquir- 

 ies were made from 

 the managers of tin- 

 various Aquaria in 

 Europe, and a quan- 

 tity of information W;l^ 

 received which provci I 

 of the utmost use in 

 establishing the vari- 

 ous departments ot 

 the Aquarium. 



THK PICTURE S.\LOX. 



