450 Mrs. Thynne and Mr. Gosse on the Increase of Madrepores. 



great interest in seeing a living species of little creatures so in- 

 timately connected with that science. I procured about thirty 

 of them, to watch and admire during a few weeks' residence at 

 Torquay, and felt so much desire to show them to a friend in 

 London, that I determined to try whether they would not sur- 

 vive the journey, though it was rendered more difficult by my 

 intention of passing three weeks at Clifton on my way to town. 

 I provided myself with a new stone jar in basket-work, and six 

 gallons of pure sea-water taken from a deep part of the Channel. 

 With a needle and thread I fixed the Madrepores on a large 

 sponge, that there might be no damage from collision, and then 

 placed them in a glass jar filled to the brim with water, and tied 

 down with a bladder. This method was perfectly successful. 

 During the journey, I had the great pleasure of seeing them 

 expand their tentacula most happily ; and they arrived both at 

 Clifton and London in a most flourishing state. My next con- 

 sideration was as to the possibility of keeping them alive, and this 

 I accomplished in the following manner. I placed them in glass 

 bowls, holding about three pints of water each, which I changed 

 every other day ; and as 1 could not have a continual supply 

 sufficient for such a demand, I thought of having it aerated by 

 pouring it backwards and forwards through a small watering- 

 pot, before an open window, for half or three-quarters of an 

 hour, between each time of using it. This was doubtless a 

 fatiguing process ; but I had a little maid, who, besides being 

 anxious to oblige me, thought it rather an amusement ; so that as 

 the service was cheerfully performed, it was also done well; and 

 the exertion was diminished by her standing for only ten minutes 

 or a quarter of an hour at one time. At the expiration of three 

 months, although I could discover no deterioration of the water, 

 T thought it safe to send my stone jar to be refilled ; and this I 

 continued to do so long as I kept a collection in London. 



2. For six or seven months the little Madrepores had no other 

 food than the water sup])lied ; but, as they then looked rather 

 thin, I fed them with boiled shrimps cut very fine, which soon 

 restored them to their usual beauty. 



3. In the spring of 1847, I wished to try whether I could 

 adjust the balance between animal and vegetable life, and sent 

 for shells and small pieces of rock, to which living sea-weed was 

 attached : on these shells, &c., were sure to be many Zoophytes 

 and other animals, so that I obtaine<l a \evy various and curious 

 collection of marine creatures. I had' a quantity of microscopic 

 Corallines, which multiplied very f ant ; Serpu/re, that rapidly 

 elongated their stony cases ; some Annelides, Opjhiura, and a 

 great many beautiful little things for which I could find no 

 name. 



