2 THE HISTORY OF AQUARIA. 



of collecting a great deal of information relative to 

 the habits of the invertebrate animals, it had to fall 

 back until science came up with it. The enormous 

 strides which natural science has made since the pub- 

 lication of the ' Origin of Species ' have necessitated 

 large aquaria, where the new study of the embryology 

 and larval conditions of the lower animals could be 

 more easily followed. Since that time, also, zoology 

 has become more attractive even to general readers. 

 The fact that evolutionists and non-evolutionists have 

 taken sides over zoological questions, renders it im- 

 perative that both shall observe more and theorise 

 less. It has been found, also, that large aquaria may 

 be rendered places of the highest amusement, as well 

 as of the easiest and pleasantest instruction. Hence 

 their numbers are largely increasing, and we doubt 

 not the time is not far distant when all our large 

 towns will be provided with them, so that all classes 

 may know more of the marvellous works of God. 

 To economists, aquaria cannot fail to be of the 

 highest interest, for even within the last few years, 

 observation at several of them has settled various 

 most important facts relating to the life-history of 

 some of those creatures which are most valuable to us 

 as food. In one instance, at least, it was the means 

 of preventing the framing of a law that was based 

 on zoological ignorance, and which would have done 

 as much harm to our fish supply as it was intended to 

 do good ! In 1865 a Royal Commission, on which 





