THE PARLOR GARDENER. 91 



water ; and that of the aquarium will never ex- 

 hale the odor of stagnant water. 



If you do not like one fish better than another, 

 and have no preference for the gold fish of China, 

 who are in possession of the privilege of con- 

 stantly peopling the basins, I would advise you, 

 ladies, to adopt the pretty little fish named by the 

 naturalists epinoche, and well kjiown under its 

 vulgar name of cobbler, because of the point, in 

 the shape of an awl, with which its back is 

 armed. The manners of this fish, that you can 

 study at leisure through the transparent walls of 

 your aquarium, are very interesting. It alone, 

 among all the known fish, makes a nest, which 

 it does out of the refuse parts of the aquatic 

 plants, and in this nest the female deposits her 

 eggs. Both male and female, after the eggs are 

 hatched, take assiduous care of the young family. 



Plants to put in the Aquarium. 

 Pardon an old professor of natural history, 

 ladies, for this short excursion into the domains 

 of ichthyology. I have wandered from parlor 

 gardening ; I hasten back as quickly as I can. 



