RIVER GARDENS ; 



manner at the bottoms of brooks, and all its move- 

 ments and babits, in pursuit of its prey, and other- 

 wise, are curious and amusing. 



Prom the Water Spider to the Crab, Shrimp, and 

 other crustaceans, is but a step ; they are so similar 

 in many points of their structure. The fresh-water 

 Shrimp is worthy of a place in the Aquarium, on 

 account of his peculiar method of swimming, but is 

 so inconspicuous that few would take much in- 

 terest in his proceedings on that account. Other 

 small fresh-water Crustacea are curious as micro- 

 scopic objects, but scarcely desirable for the 

 Aquarium ; I therefore pass to the only con- 

 spicuous member of the family who has conde- 

 scended to honour the fresh water with his pre- 

 sence. This is the Cray Pish of our brooks and 

 trout-streams the Astacus fluviatilis. He is 

 somewhat difficult to manage, but many have 

 failed, it would seem, in consequence of placing him 

 in too deep a vessel, as Professor Bell, in his work 

 on British Crustacea, describes one that was kept 

 for a considerable time in a pan, only an inch 

 and a half deep. A glass ledge might therefore be 

 erected in the Aquarium, about that distance from 

 the surface of the water, upon which a few pieces of 

 rockwork might be formed into a retreat for the 



