32 



The health of the creatures is the strongest proof that the 

 water in which they live is pure. 



This I consider most creditable to the manager. How by in- 

 duction Mr. Lloyd could have arrived at such perfect results, I 

 do not know ; but the results have been so an'ived at, for he 

 knows nothing of these creatures from sea-side observation, but 

 he has developed this aquarium from his own mental conscious- 

 ness within the bricks and mortar of London, Paris, and Hamburg. 



It is a lesson to us all of the pursuit of knowledge under diffi- 

 culties, that the best designed aquarium should have been thought 

 out by one who absolutely has had no advantage on his side 

 beyond indomitable tenacity of purpose, and, on the other side, a 

 constant succession of hindrances. 



To return again to the fishes, the order under consideration. 



As I observed before, the pair of fins next the gills are the 

 homologues of the fore-legs of the higher vertebrates, and the 

 other pair of the hind-legs. 



If you examine the fishes exhibited, you will observe that many 

 of them, to make a bull, have the hind-legs before the fore-legs, 

 that is to say, the ventral fins are more forward in the body than 

 the pectoral. This is the case in the Blennies, Gobies, and Gur- 

 nards. 



There are three species of Gurnard in tank 34, and I have 

 watched their movements with the greatest interest. The ventral 

 fins, which are distinctly in front of the pectoral fins, are not 

 webbed together throughout; half of each fin is divided into 

 three fingers. 



It is very interesting to observe the use made of these fingers. 

 The Gurnai'ds are ground fish ; they stealthily creep along the 

 bottom of the sea and slowly approach within a short distance of 

 their prey, and then suddenly pounce upon it, catch it in their 

 capacious jaws and swallow it. In doing this they move de- 

 liberately forward by the action of these fingers on the ground, 

 without moving their fins, which would disturb th"e water and 

 frighten their prey ; in fact, the action reminded me of that 

 of a cat. 



Compare this with the rapid dash a Cod makes as soon as he 

 sees anything eatable, and, by a sudden action of the gills, he 

 draws a stream of water into his mouth, and thus sucks in his 

 prey. 



The time at my disposal will not allow me to make any further 



