LIFE IN THE OCEAN WAVh. 329 



fill column after column with the ways and manners of 

 these curious beings — how the sea-anemones are fed regu- 

 larly with bits of mussel, how the purple whelk persists in 

 congregating under the water inlets, and there deposit- 

 ing its strange foot-stalked eggs, each egg looking very 

 much like a niriepin set on end — how many of the 

 lower beings, including our Darwinian ancestors the 

 Ascidians, seem to come of their own accord, and axe 

 fe,r better and cleaner for zoological purposes than 

 those which have been taken in the sea. But space 

 fails us, and we can but briefly describe how this vast 

 army of animated beings is kept in health. 



The key to this problem is double, namely, cleanli- 

 ness and circulation. 



The cleaning of the aquarimn is attended to with 

 the most scrupulous fidelity. The water passes through 

 tubes of vulcanite, so that no metallic oxide can poison 

 it. The food which is given to the animals is absolutely 

 fresh, and that which has to be cut is chopped on a 

 large sloping slate, over which runs a stream of water. 

 No dead animal is allowed to remain in the tanks, and 

 every particle of imeaten food is removed. 



Circulation is as carefully secured. There is a 

 double set of engines and pumps, by means of which 

 the water is kept perpetually flowing through the tanks. 

 By the courtesy of Mr. Lloyd we were taken behind the 

 scenes, and enabled to understand the enormous amount 

 of thought and labour which alone can maintain such 

 an establishment. As Mr. Lloyd well remarks, the 

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