AQUAYIVARIUM. 



AQUIFOLIACEJi 



282 



Fishes, and other low forms of marine animal life. It was however 

 left for Mr. Warington to demonstrate what others had often theorised 

 on, and that was, that marine plants purified sea-water just as 

 fresh-water plants purified fresh-water. That the same idea had 

 occurred to others is proved by Mr. W. Thomson's communications 

 to the 'Annals of Natural History' (May 1853), and Mr. Gosse's 

 account of Marine Vivaria in his ' Naturalist's Rambles on the 

 Devonshire Coast.' The difficulties, however, are greater in main- 

 taining the balance between the plants and animals in sea-water than 

 in fresh. This arises from the more sluggish life, both of marine plants 

 and animals, and the greater amount of disorganised matter which they 

 throw from their surfaces. By care in the selection of sea-weeds, 

 avoiding those which are large and throw off much matter from their 

 surface, and not overcrowding the water with animal life, jars or 

 tanks containing sea-animals and sea-plants can be easily managed. 

 Mr. Warington recommends green sea-weeds, such as the species of 

 J^irfiltyi-a, &c. Mr. Gosse speaks favourably of Cltondrus Crispins, L'i'f" 

 l/u,nnd the Deleiserue. In jars ortanks containing these plants various 

 forms of sea-animals have been successfully kept for many months. 



The greatest experiment of this kind which has hitherto been 

 attempted is in a large glass-building that has been erected in the 

 gardens of the Zoological Society, Regent's Park It was opened to 

 tin- public in May, 1853. This building contains an area of 60 feet 

 by 25 feet. The sides of this parallelogram are bounded by ponds 

 of plate-glass, each being about 6 feet in length and 2 feet 6 inches in 

 di'pth. They are placed at a height of about 3 feet from the ground, 

 > i li.it each division presents as it were a submarine picture ' on the 

 line/ and may be approached so closely that the minutest animals 

 not microscopic, may be watched with the most perfect success, 

 under circumstances which differ as little as possible from those of 

 nature. The whole of these tanks are supplied with gravel, sand, 

 rocks, and sea-weeds, go as to imitate the rock-pools left on the sea- 

 shore by a receding tide, which indeed they may be said to represent ; 

 but with this great advantage to the observer, that instead of looking 

 vertically into a cavity in which the light becomes less and less in 

 ]>n >i>rtiou to the depth, he has here the means of examining each 

 animal in ita turn, under an effect which is not only most delightful 

 in itself, but which, the water being seen in section through perfectly 

 transparent walls, afford the best possible position for investigating 

 the structure and functions of the living beings contained in it. 



At present the water in the ponds or tanks in this establishment 

 has not been left to the purifying influence of the plants which are 

 placed in them ; a certain quantity of water being supplied to the 

 fresh-water tanks every day, whilst the salt-water is gradually drawn 

 off and supplied again by dropping, so as to effect aeration by means 

 of tubes above the tanks. This however is only precautionary, at 

 the commencement of an experiment on so large a scale. 



The tanks contain fresh-water animals and marine animals. The fresh- 

 water tanks present all the more common species of British Fishes, as the 

 Pike, Tench, Perch, Roach, Rudd, Carp, Eel, Stickleback, Minnow, 

 Gudgeon, 4c. Some of the larger forms of fresh-water Crustacea, as the 

 Crawfish, have also been introduced. With these are placed a large 

 variety of the fresh-water Mollusca, belonging to the genera Linuuut, 

 Planorbis, Anodon, Unio, &c. These tanks have been occupied since 

 Christmas, 1852, with scarcely any loss. 



The marine tanks are those which will undoubtedly always form the 

 most attractive feature in an Aquavivarium, as we are less conversant 

 with the habits of these creatures of the mighty deep, than with 

 those of our ponds and rivers. In the establishment in Regent's Park 

 all the classes of the Invertebrate Animals are represented as well as 

 the'fish among the Vertebrate. 



Amongst the Radiate Animals none are more remarkable for their 

 power of resisting destruction than the .(<( mi<u/<r, and all experimenters 

 agree that they are amongst the animals which may be most success- 

 fully kept in the Aquavivarium. All the more common British species 

 are now to be seen in the Regent's Park, and some of remarkable 

 size and beauty. The Sertularian Zoophytes and the Polyzoa are also 

 there, but their annual inhabitants are too minute to be seen with the 

 naked eye. Specimens of the Echinodermata, including several forms 

 of Star- Fishes (Ateria), the Sun-Star, the common Sea-Egg, and a 

 species of ffolothunfi, which have lived for some weeks, prove that 

 undoubtedly these beautiful forms of animal life will live in confine- 

 ment, and lead to the hope that some of the rarer sorts from tropical 

 oceans may find their way to our collections. 



As was to be expected, tin' ,!/., //./,/ thrive. In the sea they play 

 the same part as in the fresh-water : they are the scavengers of the 

 i. The Pinna, the Oyster, the Pecten, the Cockle, amongst 

 bivalves ; and the Whelk, the Periwinkle, with many other univalves, 

 have demonstrated how large a field of observation is in store for 

 those who study the Mollusco, Several species of those gems of the 

 ocean, the Nudibranchiate Mollusca, whose forms and colours are 

 only known to us through the great work of Alder and Hancock, have 

 been successfully kept alive; whilst the red leaves of the species 

 of Rhodymmia have been starred with their eggs. Various forms of 

 Ascidian Mollusca have lived, and complete the evidence that this 

 great group of animals may be watched in their living habits as easily 

 aa their ln-ll- may be examined in a cabinet. 



The Articulala are represented in these tanks by species of Lobster, 



Crab, Shrimp, and Prawn. Though many of these are inhabitants of 

 the deep ocean, and only reward the labours of the dredger, yet they 

 live perfectly well in the shallow lodgings provided for them by the 

 Zoological Society. These facts demonstrate that amongst the Inver- 

 tebrate tribes there are none whose habits may not be studied in the 

 Aquavivarium. 



As yet the evidence is not complete with regard to marine fish. 

 The only species at present tried in Regent's Park have been the 

 smaller species that frequent the rocky pools of our coasts. Amongst 

 others, the Cork-Wing (Crenilabrut Cornttbicus), the Fifteen-Spined 

 Stickleback, the Long-Spined Cottus, two species of Blenny, and a 

 Goby, testify how far this portion of the collection may be extended. 



As far as experiment has gone, the success of the Aquavivarium is 

 complete ; and it is not too much to suppose that the time will 

 speedily arrive when in every exhibition of animal life glass-tanks will 

 be fitted up for the purpose of illustrating the habits of marine and fresh- 

 water animals. As there are scarcely any limits to the size of which 

 vessels made with square plates of glass can be constructed, we may 

 hope to see sporting in our zoological collections some of the monsters 

 of the deep of whose actions aiid life we know absolutely nothing, 

 and of whose forms we only judge by the shapeless masses which 

 their skins present when stuffed, or their carcasses when bottled in 

 spirits of wine. 



Before concluding this article, we would call attention to the fact 

 that the principles on which the Aquavivarium is constructed are 

 also adapted to facilitate the removal from place to place of marine 

 and fresh-water animals. These tanks may be easily fitted up on 

 board ships, and, with a little attention from day to day, many of 

 those creatures which are only known to the naturalist by its skeleton 

 or its name, might be secured, and brought into our living museums. 



(Athaueum, May 28, 1853 ; Annals of Natural History, May, 1853, 

 Gosse, A ffaturalM's Rumldeo OH ttte Devonshire Coast ; Dalyell, 

 1 .//,/. Afi'tnitljf of Scotland.) 



AgUIFOLIA'CE/K (from aqua., water, and folium, leaf), HuUij- 

 Worti, a natural order of plants belonging to the Polycarpous group of 

 Polypetalous Exogens. The species consist of trees or shrubs, with 

 alternate or opposite coriaceous leaves. The flowers are small, 

 axillary, solitary, or fascicled. The sepals 4-6, imbricated in aostiva- 

 tion ; the corolla 4- or 5-ported, hypogynous, imbricated in aestivation ; 

 the stamens inserted into the corolla alternate with its segments, 

 filaments erect, anthers adnate ; no disk : the ovary fleshy, superior, 

 somewhat truncate, with from 2 to 6 cells ; ovules solitary, pendulous 

 from a cup-shaped funiculus ; stigma subsessile, lobed ; the fruit 

 fleshy, indehiscent, with from 2 to 6 stones ; the seed suspended, 

 nearly sessile, with large fleshy albumen, and a small 2-lobed embryo 

 lying next the hilum, with minute cotyledons and superior radicle. 

 (Lindley.) 



This order, which is named after the Ilex aquifolium, the Common 

 Holly [ILEX], was included by Jussieu in Ithatimacect. It has however 

 been well characterised by Brouguiart, in his memoir upon Rhamueous 

 Plants, under the name Ilicincfe. 



This order differs from Celatrace(p, in which it is often included as 

 a section, in the form of its calyx and corolla, in the insertion of the 

 stamens, and in the structure of the ovary and fruit. It agrees cloaely 

 with Euenacea, from which, according to Brongniart, it only differs in 

 possessing hermaphrodite flowers, and stamens equal in number to the 

 segments of the corolla. 



This order has but one representative in Europe, the Common Holly 

 (Ilex aguifolium). The great bulk of the species are found in North 

 and South America ; some are found at the Cape of Good Hope. 



The useful plants of this order are found in the genera Ilex, 

 Myyinda, and Prinas. Ilex is remarkable for yielding in one of its 

 species, /. Paraguen.tis, the alkaloid T/ieine, the same principle that is 

 found in the Thea Chinemris. [TEA, PARAGUAY; Iu:v ] 



Myyinda was named after Francis von Mygind, a German botanist. 

 M. uragoga is a native of South America, near Carthageua. It has 

 small dark shining red flowers, and bears a red soft fruit about the 

 size of a pea. It is called by the Spaniard* Yirva de Sfararail, and a 

 decoction of the root is used as a diuretic. M. Gongonha, a native of 

 Brazil, in the provinces of St. Paul and Minos Geraeo, has also the 

 reputation of being a powerful diuretic, and its roots are used in 

 infusion or decoction by the natives. 



Prinot (from the Greek for the holly, irpivos), Wintcrberry. 



P. verticMatus, Whorled Winterberry, is a native of North America, 

 from Canada to Virginia, in sandy wet woods, and 011 the borders of 

 swamps. The flowers are white, and the berries are of a crimson red. 

 The bark is bitter, and has been substituted for Cinchona Bark in the 

 treatment of fever. It is said to act as an antiseptic, and is used in 

 America as an application to gangrenous sores, and also in infusion or 

 decoction, as a lotion in cutaneous disorders. 



P. glaber is a low handsome shrub, with white flowers and a black 

 fruit ; hence, in Jersey, it is called Ink-Berries. It is a native of 

 North America, from Canada to Florida. Its leaves are said to be a 

 good substitute for those of the Paraguay-Tea Plant, and are used for 

 making tea. 



Then; are several other species of Prims, some of which are hardy, 

 and well adapted for shrubberies. They will thrive in most light 

 soils, but do lx;st in pent. They may bo propagated by laying down 



