170 THE SWAN AND HER CREW. 



washed it in water, so as to cleanse it from all mud and im- 

 purity. This was placed to the depth of a couple of inches in 

 each vessel, and a rock-work of worn flints was built upon it. 

 Water was poured in to within a few inches of the top, and 

 pieces of anacharis were planted in the gravel, their roots kept 

 down by the stones. In a day or two the water had got clear, 

 and the plants had taken root, and the boys proceeded to 

 stock the aquaria. The small brook near afforded minnows 

 and sticklebacks in plenty. In a stagnant pool they got some 

 newts and water-insects. From the broad they obtained a few 

 small perch, roach, and bream, and an eel about six inches 

 long. They at first put these all together without any attempt 

 at sorting them, and then the following consequences ensued. 

 The water-boatmen fastened on the heads of the small fish and 

 speedily killed them, and ate them up. The sticklebacks made 

 themselves at home at once, and proved very pugnacious, 

 fighting each other, dashing at a stick or finger, if put into the 



MINNOW. 



water, but, worst of all, annoying the minnows, Each male 

 stickleback took up a position of his own, and resented any 

 approach to within a few inches of it. With his glaring green 

 eyes, and scarlet breast, he would wage war against any intruder; 

 and when an unsuspecting minnow came within his ken he 

 would sidle up to it, till within striking distance, then dash at it, 

 and strike it with his snout in the stomach. The perch 

 swallowed the minnows, and when they had vanished, attempted 

 to swallow the sticklebacks, but the spines of the latter stuck in 

 the perches' gullets and choked them. The eel, too, would 

 writhe and poke through the gravel and stir it up, displacing 

 the weeds and doing a lot of mischief. 



This led to a general reconstruction of the aquaria. The 

 perch were taken out and restored to the broad, together with 

 the eel. The roach, bream, and minnows, were put into two 

 of the aquaria by themselves, and the sticklebacks and water- 



