68 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1896. 
tank at the bottom. The drain is simi- 
lar to that mentioned already above. 
As is shown by these examples, the 
current caused by the entry of fresh 
water is used : (1) to supply oxygen for 
the fish, and (2) to remove the foul 
gases and injurious sediments. 
A drain similar to the one shown in 
this tank is used in carp ponds located 
in cold localities. ‘The master fisher 
on the estate of the late Eckardt, Esq., 
of Liibbinchen (Germany) first con- 
structed a pond outlet after this prin- 
ciple, his object being to carry off 
the cold and foul water of the bottoms 
of his carp ponds, retaining the warmer 
and purer water of the surface. In 
connection with a model showing the 
construction and working of a carp 
pond that we had on exhibition at the 
Cincinnati Industrial Exposition in 
1882, we showed this drain. 
The lower illustration shows the bot- 
tom section of an ordinary aquarium 
tank. In localities where it is imprac- 
ticable to use water from the city water 
works, it being too muddy, or where 
water is scarce, we found it beneficial 
to the health of the fish to have a false 
bottom about an inch above the real 
one. The real bottom should slightly 
decline towards the faucet. The false 
bottom may be constructed of wire net- 
ting as indicated in the drawing, or it 
may consist of a strong pane of glass, 
the latter cut to fit loosely all round. 
The sediment will be worked through 
the slits around the sides thus left and 
the water kept free from impurities of 
a visible form at least. 
When selecting glass for this purpose, 
let it be either white (so-called milk- 
glass) or dark-blue in color, as these 
colors show fish to advantage. 
From time to time the sediment is 
removed through the faucet, and fresh 
water added by pouring it in with a 
pail or watering pot. 
ANCIENT FISH CULTURE. 
From an interesting article in The 
Fishing Gazette, on the “ Fisheries of — 
the Greeks and Romans,” being a re- 
print from the Bulletin of the United 
States Fish Commission, we clip the 
following : 
THE MURAENA. 
The muraena is described in the fol- 
lowing manner by Paul Jovius, whose 
words are given in a literal translation 
to show at the same time how natural 
history was written in the sixteenth 
century : 
“* Muraenas are found in great num- 
bers in all parts of the sea, but those 
from the coasts of Sicily are the largest 
and best. ‘These are the kind which 
Columella calls ‘flutes.’ They swim 
near the surface, and it therefore some- 
times happens that when the warm 
rays of the sun dry their skin, thereby 
depriving them of their flexibility, they 
can no longer dip beneath the water 
and can easily be caught with the 
hand. They are speckled, and are 
said to have star-like figures on their 
sides, arranged in the shape of dippers, 
which, however, disappear immediately 
after death. They possess great cun- 
ning, for when they find themselves 
caught they swallow the hook, bite 
through the line with their teeth, and 
thus make their escape. Iam of opinion 
that the ancient Romans prized the 
muraena more on account of its long 
life than of its delicious flavor, for the 
large number required for daily use could 
easily be kept in ponds prepared for 
the purpose, while most other fish soon 
died, either through grief at having 
