PART FIRST. 



LIST OF THE CONTENTS 

 OF EACH TANK. 



The Aquarium contains only marine animals and plants. 

 All have been found in the bay of Naples. 



I 



n the ensuing list only the most remarkable of the ani- 

 mals and plants are mentioned ; the description given is pur- 

 posely couched in colloquial language, being designed to convey, 

 if possible, in a few words a sufficient impression of the animal 

 to lead to its identification. The asterisk (*) before a name si- 

 gnifies that the animal does not occur at all seasons of the year. 



The ascending streams of silvery bubbles in the tanks are 

 the air drawn in by the sea-water, which is always being pum- 

 ped in from dark tanks under the aquarium. Those animals and 

 plants which are found near the upper part of a tank , will be 

 seen double , owing to the reflection against the surface of the 

 water. All the tanks, but especially, perhaps, Nos 1, 3, 9, and 20, 

 gain enormously by being seen in the sunlight between 12 and 

 2 o'clock. 



On the walls of most tanks will be seen the white tubes of 

 Ciona (compare tank 4) , the colonies of Botryllus (p. 85) and 

 other Compound Ascidians , and a little white Sponge (p. 55, 

 fig. 159). These grow and breed in the water of the aquarium, 

 attaching themselves to all suitable surfaces. In most tanks are 

 swarms of tiny , reddish-brown Opossum-shrimps (p. 74). In 

 comparing the Fishes with the figures in the Guide, it must be 

 remembered that in many species the dorsal fin nearest the head 

 is not visible except when erected (often for defence) ; notice, as 

 an example, Labrax (fig. 55) in tank 10. The visitor must not 

 rashly ascribe the power of walking about to Sponges, Tunicates, 

 Anemones, etc., which he may find moving among the rocks in 



34534") 



