18 SAGARTIAD.E. 



can unhesitatingly affirm, both that the species travels as 

 freely as any in captivity, and that it may be removed from 

 its attachment with the utmost ease and impunity. In " The 

 Aquarium" (p. 192) I had given evidence of both these 

 facts, and experience has since confirmed them in number- 

 less instances. Instead of repeating my own observations, 

 however, I will fortify them with the authority of my friend 

 Mr. Merriman, of Bridgnorth, who has favoured me with 

 the following remarks on this subject : — 



" Dr. Johnston's statement is not confirmed by my 



experience any more than yours. I have a very fine speci- 

 men of dianthus, which persisted in crawling up the side of 

 my glass, — a circular one, — until part of its disk was actu- 

 ally above ' high-water level.' A few days ago it became 

 necessary to empty my glass. Accordingly I drew off the 

 water, and the dianthus hung in the most disconsolate way, 

 looking very like an old wet kid-glove. Finding I could 

 not finish my operation without entirely removing him, I 

 worked him off with the back of my nail. Of course, at the 

 first rude touch on his base, he shrank up into a ball, in 

 which shape he continued, when I dropped him into some 

 water to remain until I could restore him to his own home. 

 While here he became quite like a ball of cotton, so many 

 were the nettling-threads that he threw out on all sides. 

 In two hours' time I put him back into the glass, having 

 taken the precaution to place a bit of slate upright behind 

 him, that I might not have the same difficulty again. In 

 less than six hours he had stuck as firmly to the slate as he 

 had previously done to the glass, and he has continued 

 most magnificent ever since." 



In spite of Sir John Dalyell's assertion, that this species 

 is " less hardy than most," the fuller aquarian experience of 

 the present day enables us to affirm that no British species 

 is more readily preserved in confinement than dianthus. 



