342 A ' LITTHLE DOMBEY ' FISH. 



I have noticed a singular fact in connection with 

 the Blenny namely, that they do not all increase in 

 size as they grow older. Out of five that I kept 

 domesticated for more than two years, one specimen 

 remained at the end of that period of the same size 

 as when I first made its acquaintance in a rock -pool 

 by the sea-shore, while its companions had greatly 

 increased their proportions. But let me in justice 

 add, that if my little finny pet failed to increase in 

 corpulency, it gained largely in intelligence. Who 

 is there that has not seen children, short in stature, 

 and comparatively old in years, who deserve the 

 epithet applied to them by the vulgar, of ' little 

 but knowing. 9 This remark would apply with great 

 truth to my ' little Dombey ' fish. 



Before becoming expert in carrying out the plan 

 (which will be fully detailed hereafter) for clarifying 

 the water of an aquarium which has become opaque 

 from superabundant vegetative growth, I had to 

 submit to many annoying failures. Thus it was in 

 a certain instance. 



I had cleaned out my tank, refilled it with parti- 

 ally purified water, and again inserted the various 

 animals constituting my ' stock/ Emboldened by the 

 success which had attended my operations, I thought 

 a still further dose of diluted acid might be added, in 

 order thoroughly to remove the greenish hue of the 

 water. A few minutes showed me the folly of not 

 letting well alone, for soon flakes of discharged vegeta- 



