162 



THE AQUARIUM, APRIL, 1895. 



seven by five and in others five by 

 five feet ; two of these in each section 

 open into one another, thus forming a 

 double tank of eleven and a half by five 

 feet. The glass of the tanks on the 

 gallery, numbering thirty-six in all, is 

 three feet wide by three and one-half 

 feet high in some, while it is five feet 

 by three and one-half in others. These 

 sizes are also the measurements of the 

 tanks inside ; no allowance has been 

 made for rustic decoration. Their depth 

 is two feet nine inches, from the glass to 

 the back wall (inside measure). The 

 main fioor tanks are built of cement 

 and brick ; those on the gallery are 

 made of slate. The two sides and the 

 back walls of all the tanks are lined with 

 white glazed tiles. The bottoms are 

 of slate or cement. Cast-iron frames, 

 of the conventional picture-frame shape, 

 liold the plate glass fronts in place ; 

 they have no sills. The supply pipes 

 that come in contact with sea-water are 

 of hard rubber. 



All the material used in the con- 

 struction of the aquarium is of the best 

 quality, and the workmanship is excel- 

 lent ; but with the technical part they 

 have not been so successful, as they 

 liave adopted the unscientific method 

 which was abandoned more than twen- 

 ty-five years ago in Europe, /'. e., to sup- 

 ply the tanks with a continuous flow of 

 *' neiv " water — from the Bay for the 

 marine section, and from the city 

 water works for the fresh water speci- 

 mens." 



In the European aquariums the res- 

 ervoir system is used, which has been 

 found most thoroughly satisfactory, 

 and besides, is more economical. This 

 system requires three times the volume 

 of water the tanks contain when full ; 

 one part being in the tanks in use, so 

 to say, while the two others are in the 



storage tanks at rest. From here it 

 circulates. It is forced into the show- 

 tanks by a comparatively small pump, 

 being re-charged with oxygen as it enters 

 these. 



This system, in addition, enables to 

 supply to the specimens the different 

 densities of "seasoned" sea-water, and 

 also allows control of the temperature 

 of same. 



The utter weakness of the old system 

 was quite apparent during our visit, for 

 the Bay being full of ice, the temper- 

 ature of the water in the tanks was 

 down almost to freezing. To keep 

 tropical fishes or plants in such water 

 is out of the question. But this might 

 easily be corrected, as there is a cellar 

 under the old guard-room where stor- 

 age tanks might be placed. Not quite 

 so easy, however, would it be to recon- 

 struct some of the tanks in order to 

 give greater depth to them, or to other- 

 wise change their shape to enable effect- 

 ive decorations to show the peculiar 

 characteristics of the different speci- 

 mens. 



■»■ • 



CHARMS OF THE LILY POND. 



A casual glance at a lily pond reveals 

 two well-defined characteristics : Plants 

 with foliage and flowers standing far 

 above the water, and those with their 

 leaves and pads afloat on its surface. 

 Chief among the first class is the Lotus, 

 whose grandeur and beauty defy alike 

 the powers of the pen and the brush. 

 Its massive pea-green foliage of peltate 

 leaves, resembling inverted umbrellas, 

 stands six to eight feet above. the water, 

 each with a fairy lakelet of molten sil- 

 ver dreaming in its bosom. Surmount- 

 ing the wilderness of green, the indi- 

 vidual flowers arise like the gorgeous 

 banners of the Orient. 



Representing the second class is the 



