16 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892. 
Then divide by 231, and you have the 
number of gallons, since the gallon con- 
tains 231 cubic inches. Three gallons 
of water weigh twenty-five pounds. 
Mrs. J. S.—The _ straight-sided, 
square tanks are always preferable. 
The dimensions should be twice as long 
as wide, and the depth one-fourth 
higher than the width. For example: 
An aquarium sixteen inches in length, 
should be eight inches in breadth and 
ten inches in height; one of twenty-four 
by twelve, should be fifteen inches high. 
The glass should not be set in grooves; 
it should be laid against the frame, like 
a pane of glass in a winddw. The ce- 
ment should be between the glass and 
the frame. It is useless to make the 
parts against which the glass lays wide, 
and to cover the joints from outside 
also with cement. If the glass is per- 
fectly imbedded in the cement, the pres- 
sure of the water will keep it so, in fact 
it will steady it. 
Mr. 8. G.—The temperature of the 
water of an aquarium should not go be- 
low fifty degrees Fahrenheit; the best 
temperature is from sixty-five to 
seventy degrees. The plants will grow 
and act on the water; the fish will have 
good appetite and thrive. 
Miss HK. in Allegheny City.—Yes. 
The Sagittaria natans, also Sag. “‘ New 
Era” blooms in the aquarium. The 
flowers are snowy white, with a yellow 
centre, about the size of a dime piece, 
and float after the style of the pond 
lily flowers on the surface of the water. 
One flower stalk has twelve to fifteen 
buds; one of these opens at a time and 
stays in perfection until the next day, 
when anew one opens. A plant will 
thus be in bloom for about two weeks. 
The flowering season is not bound to a 
certain time of the year. We have had 
them in bloom nearly all the year round. 
4 
Miss Etia.—Lizards have to be fed 
on live insects or their larvae. Meal 
worms, as fed to insectivorous birds, 
are excellent for them. ‘They will also 
sometimes eat some wheatbread soaked 
in fresh milk or the yellow of raw eggs, 
You can easily winter them over if you 
keep them warm and now and then set 
them into the sunshine. They will eat. 
but little during the winter. 
The best way to winter over turtles. 
is by placing them in a wooden box— 
a soap box will do, which is half filled 
with dead leaves and soil. In this 
they will bury themselves, and they 
should not be disturbed until spring. 
Mrs. N., Nashville.—Tuffstein or 
any other rock can be cemented to- 
gether with equal parts of silver sand 
and best Portland cement. The two 
parts should be well mixed before add- 
ing the water. Keep mixing only a 
little at a time, as it sets quickly. Let 
the cemented rocks become dry over 
night; then soak for a few hours, and 
then, after a good sponging, they are 
fit to be placed in an aquarium. 
THE CHRISTMAS AQUARIUM. 
The next number of ‘‘ The Aqua- 
rium” will be issued the first part 
of December. It will contain, in 
addition to the usual articles on 
fish and plants, a detailed and il- 
lustrated instruction for the man- 
agement of parlor aquariums. 
This we know will be desirable 
information to those who contem- 
plate securing an aquarium for 
their homes. For those whose 
taste is inclined to the cultivation 
of Houseplants it will contain full 
instructions for the management 
of Ferneries. In sending your 
orders for ‘‘ The Aquarium ” please 
write your name and Post Office 
plainly. 
