REVELATIONS OF THE AQUARIUM. 291 



bonito rushing after them in swift pursuit ; but who can 

 tell what the flying-fish is doing when not pursued, or how 

 the bonito is engaged when the prey is not before him ? 

 How many pleasing traits of conjugal or parental attach- 

 ment the waves of the fathomless sea may conceal, we 

 know not : what ingenious devices for self -protection ; 

 what structures for the concealment of eggs, or ofispring ; 

 what arts of attack and defence ; what manoeuvrings and 

 stratagems ; what varied exhibitions of sagacity, fore- 

 thought, and care ; what singular developments of in- 

 stinct ; — who shall tell ? 



The aquarium has, indeed, already enlarged our acquaint- 

 ance with the curious creatures that inhabit the waters ; 

 and not a few examples of those habits and instincts that 

 constitute animal biography, have by this means been 

 brought to light Much more will doubtless be learned 

 by the same instrumentality ; but there will stUl remain 

 secrets which the aquarium will be powerless to resolve. 

 From its very nature it can deal only with the small, 

 and those which are content with little liberty ; for the 

 multitude of large, unwieldy, swift-finned races, which 

 shoot athwart the deep, and for the countless hosts of tiny 

 things, to whose organisation even the confinement of a 

 vessel is speedy death, we must find some other device 

 before we can cultivate acquaintance with them. 



It is true, we can put together a goodly number of indi- 

 vidual objects, which various accidents have from time to 

 time revealed to us from the depths, and form them into 

 an imaginary picture. Schleiden has done this, and a 



