WORK AT THE SEASHORE. 243 



do little or nothing. He was soon well again, writing mono- 

 graphs for the Microscopical Society, corresponding about 

 his captures with Johnston, Alder, Bowerbank, and Edward 

 Forbes, drawing from specimens under the microscope, 

 and recording his discoveries in exact form. At last, in 

 November, the weather grew too cold for collecting on 

 the shore in comfort, and the health of neither husband 

 nor wife was what it should be. They determined to go 

 back to London for the winter, and, after an absence of 

 nearly ten months in Devonshire, they took lodgings at 

 16, Hampton Terrace, Camden Town. 



One reason for coming back to London was the desire 

 to carry on a stage further the invention of marine vivaria, 

 which had been occupying the mind of Philip Gosse all 

 through the year. On May 3, after some slighter experi- 

 ments, he had put about three pints of sea-water, with 

 some marine plants and animals, into a confectioner's 

 show-glass, which was about ten inches deep by five and 

 a half inches wide. This was the first serious attempt 

 made to create a marine aquarium. Without changing 

 the water otherwise than by adding a little to supply loss 

 from evaporation, this vase was kept fresh, and its contents 

 healthy, for more than two months ; when the experiment 

 came to a close, in consequence of lack of experience. 

 The principle, however, upon which the preservation of 

 marine animals in captivity could be maintained was now 

 discovered, and it was merely a question how to bring it 

 to perfection in practice. Curiously enough, another 

 naturalist, Mr. Robert Warington, of Apothecaries' Hall, 

 had, quite independently, been occupied with a similar 

 series of experiments. In October, 1852, my father heard 

 of this, and immediately corresponded with Mr. Warington. 

 This gentleman, it then appeared, had carried the vivarium 

 to a greater pitch of elaboration, but had as yet only 



