THE WONDERS OF THE SHORE. 185 
Nay more, even to them, must not the glories of 
the water-world be always more momentary than 
those of the rainbow, a mere Fata Morgana which 
breaks up and vanishes before the eyes? If there 
were but some method of making a miniature sea- 
world for a few days; much more of keeping one 
with us when far inland.— 
This desideratum has at last been filled up; and 
science has shown, as usual, that by simply obeying 
Nature, we may conquer her, even so far as to have 
our miniature sea, of artificial salt-water, filled with 
living plants and sea-weeds, maintaining each other 
in perfect health, and each following, as far as is 
possible in a confined space, its natural habits. 
To Dr. Johnston is due, as far as is known, 
the honour of the first accomplishment of this as 
of a hundred other zoological triumphs. As early 
as 1842, he proved to himself the vegetable nature 
of the common pink Coralline, which fringes 
every rock-pool, by keeping it for eight weeks in 
unchanged salt-water, without any putrefaction 
ensuing. The ground, of course, on which the 
