30 



young he can feed on fish so small that they must weigh but a 

 few pennyweights ; as he attains a larger size he can swallow prey 

 weighing a few ounces, and as his size and powers of swallowing 

 increase, he is able to take fish weighing a few pounds. 



Therefore, if at the different periods of his life he is equally 

 capable of finding food in profusion of the size he can master, his 

 growth will not be stopped, but proceed indefinitely until he 

 sometimes reaches a size of fifty pounds. 



It would very rarely happen that in the whole course of his life 

 these conditions were fulfilled, and therefore his gi'owth would be 

 stopped at a size much short of this. 



And this is what occurs in natm*e. In a pond where the Jack 

 are small they are generally numerous, and the contrary occurs 

 in waters where the Jack are large. 



Thinking it would be interesting to ascertain the food con- 

 sumed in the aquarium during the year, I applied to Mr. Lloyd, 

 who has been good enough to furnish me with the Billingsgate 

 Bill of Fare. I find that during the year from August, 1871, to 

 October, 1872, both inclusive, that the following quantity of food 

 has been consumed, viz. : — 



Food consumed hy the Marine Animals in the Crystal Palace 

 Aquarium from August, 1871, to October, 1872. 



Mussels 

 Shrimps 

 Cockles . 

 Whelks . 



Whitings 

 Haddocks, &c. 



Expense 



]\Iy brother sends me word that his fishmonger took .olbs. 

 weight of undigested Sprats from the stomach of a Cod which 

 weighed only 14lbs, and from another a piece of serge about a 

 yard square. But this fish often feeds on Crabs and Lobsters 

 and easily digests them, shells and all, completely. 



