THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1895. 



185 



either through ignorance or by an in- 

 born inclination for destructiveness ; 

 and (2d) to allow ample elbow-room 

 behind the tanks (" behind the scene" 

 would be quite proper here) for the 

 aquarist, that he may be able to work 

 about, and arrange, the tanks and wait 

 upon his charge at any time undis- 

 turbed. 



We experienced sad losses when, 

 many years ago, we first began to display 



desired, and the policeman in charge 

 of that part of the hall— why, he en- 

 joyed it as much as the rest of them, 

 and declared that the next time he 

 would go out fishing, he would use that 

 same kind of bait. 



We knew, at least we thought so 

 then, how to stop fishing and feeding 

 our specimens. All that was required 

 was a wire netting over the tanks. So 

 we had these made with dispatch, and 



A Section of the Berlin Aquarium. 



collections of aquatic life to the public. 

 At first, when we innocently displayed 

 our collection entirely unprotected, we 

 mourned the loss of choice specimens 

 that had been stolen. The Avater was 

 frequently spoiled by people feeding 

 the animals with almost anything pos- 

 sible and impossible, including pre- 

 served fruits and ice cream ; even the 

 small boy with the proverbial "pin- 

 hook" fastened to a thread, was repre- 

 sented. At one time a boy attracted 

 quite a crowd around one of the aquar- 

 iums, because he used a certain kind 

 of bait that hooked nearly any fish he 



when we covered our collection with 

 them we felt that their safety was se- 

 cured. But little did we know inquis- 

 itive man (we do not say woman). To 

 look at an animal in captivity, no mat- 

 ter what element it is in, without at 

 least trying to poke it, seems to be im- 

 possible for a great many people. The 

 spectators would now poke their para- 

 sols or fan-handles through the screens, 

 and when the mesh of the screens 

 proved too small for these, some did 

 not find it too much trouble to use 

 their hat-pins for the purpose. It gave 

 them so much pleasure when they hit 



