HOW TO FORM. 13 



in a conversation with Mr. Charles Knight, he 

 suggested, what appeared to me to be a very happy 

 word Aquavivarium as expressing both the 

 characters of our show. It was accordingly 

 adopted, and published in that work in June, 

 1853. Mr. Gosse says, te The objection to this 

 is its awkward length and uncouthness, which 

 render it unsuitable for a popular exhibition or 

 domestic amenity." I cannot think that the word 

 is either awkward from its length, or uncouth. 

 That it is un suited for a popular exhibition can 

 hardly be urged, when such words as Polytechnic, 

 Zoological, Pantechnicon, Amphitheatre, and others, 

 are popularly used. With regard to its inter- 

 ference with domestic amenity, I must leave to 

 the decision of those w r ho use it in their family 

 circles. Several of my friends employ the word, 

 and I have not heard of any " domestic amenity " 

 having been destroyed. For those who prefer the 

 analogies of our own language, there is the Saxon- 

 Latin word, Water-vivary, or the more purely 

 Saxon, Water-show. 



CHAPTER III. 



HOW TO FORM AN AQUAVIVARIUM. 



ANY vessel that will hold water can be converted 

 into an Aquavivarium ; a hand-basin, a foot-bath, 

 a finger-dish, a soup-plate, or a pickle-bottle, may 

 be made the subjects of a first experiment. It will 

 soon be found, however, that vessels which are not 

 transparent, and which you have to look into, espe- 

 cially if they are deep, are not so convenient and 

 interesting as those made of glass. For observa- 



