154 



THE AQUARIUM, JANUARY, 1895. 



head, and the other members that ap- 

 pear like heads, are but the arms or 

 tentacles arranged in a circle around 

 the mouth. If we should take one of 

 these curious little hydras, and cut it 

 transversely through its body, Ave shall 

 find that the part that bears the head 

 will form for itself a new body and foot; 

 while from the other portion, which is 

 but a foot, will grow a new head and 

 tentacles. We can also cut a hydra 

 longitudinally in several pieces, and 

 such portion will supply itself with the 

 wanting parts, and become a perfect 

 animal. We can turn it inside out, 

 and the part that was the lining of the 

 stomach will become the exterior skin 

 or cuticle ; and the cuticle will take 

 upon Itself the offices of the stomach. 

 And like experiments can be made 

 on sea anemones with similar results, 

 but they are, as a general rule, more 

 tender than their fresh water relations ; 

 and, indeed, there are many of the 

 species that will certainly die under the 

 operation ; for we find that on separat- 

 ing them from the rock to Avhicli they 

 are attached (if we are not very 

 careful to avoid injuring, in any 

 way, the tender part of the animal), 

 any wounded part will decay, and 

 finally kill the creature. In one 

 of. our tanks we have now about 

 fifty of both kinds, H. viridis and H. 

 fusca, sitting on the glass sides and the 

 plants. They must have been acci- 

 dentally introduced to the tank with 

 some plants last September, as the 

 aquarium has not been disturbed since. 



FERNS. 



[Continued from last number.) 

 In the last number we promised to 

 mention a few varieties of ferns suit- 



able for house cultivation. First and 

 most desirable comes the Adiaittnm. 



Adiantum pedatum is the native 

 maiden hair of our woods, and is the 

 only one of this family that is a native 

 of the United States. It grows well in 

 a pot during the summer, but upon the 

 approach of winter, no matter how 

 warm and sheltered you may keep it, 

 the foliage dies, and the plant rests- 

 until spring, when it renea^s its beauty. 



Adianttim capillns veneris is a. 

 charming little evergi*een British fern, 

 with fronds from six to twelve inches 

 high, fan-shaped and of a rich bright 

 green color. 



Adiantum crispuhi-m has handsomely 

 curled fronds of a rich dark color and 

 makes a very beautiful specimen plant. 



Adiantum formosnm is a fine strong 

 growing plant with jet black stems and 

 cheerful, light green fronds. 



The above three varieties of Adian- 

 tum are easily cultivated, do not re- 

 quire a high temperature, and will bear 

 a great deal_ of hard usage. All the 

 rest of this family are also vei'y beauti- 

 ful, but more tender, requiring the aid 

 of a green house or Wardian Case to 

 grow them in perfection. 



Asplenium vivipnrnm is a most 

 beautiful little fern, indeed we think it 

 the prettiest of all of the small growing- 

 kinds. The fronds are about a foot 

 high, very finely dissected and some- 

 what curled, and covered on the upper 

 surface with young plants. It is very 

 easily cultivated, grows vigorously and 

 shows a compact bushy mass of foliage. 

 But it is very impatient of dust, parti- 

 cularly coal dust and smoke. We have 

 not been able to carry it through the 

 winter in this city without a covering of 

 glass. A bell glass placed over the pot is 

 a 23retty ornament, and allows the plant 

 to grow luxuriantly. In the country 



