3702 The Zoologist— October, 1873. 



On Saturday, May 21st, 1853, as reported in the 'Athenaeum' of 

 May 28th, there was opened at the Zoological Gardens in Regent's 

 Park a building or room for the express purpose of exhibiting living 

 marine animals. This building, I believe, received at the hands 

 of the Council the title of "Marine Vivarium," but this inflated 

 appellation soon became toned down by the visitors to the more 

 modest and less assuming one of " Fish House," which it has borne 

 from that lime to the present. I extract from the ' Atheuasum' of 

 Saturday, May 28, 1853, the following details, which v\ill be 

 interesting as a contemporaneous record of a notable event, and as 

 inaugurating the second era in aquarian history. Moreover, it has 

 the advantage of incorporating an account of the prior but more 

 humble efforts, in the same direction, of Sir John Dalyell and 

 Mr. VVarington, and this saves me the otherwise necessary labour 

 of describing the very important result of the indefatigable exertions 

 of these distinguished aquarians. 



" Fresh-water fish were tried first in these gardens. Perch, pike, roach, 

 dace, eels, sticklebacks and minnows were all to be watched, and their 

 domestic secrets and most retired proceedings to be brought to light. The 

 grand experiment, however, of making a little ocean, a miniature sea, iu 

 which we might look on the habits of the creatures of the great deep had 

 yet to be made. Sir John Dalyell, it was well known, had kept a sea 

 anemone alive for twenty-eight years, and numerous other marine creatures 

 for less periods ; but then throughout these twenty-eight years every morning 

 he had had sea-water brought to his house. It seemed almost impossible to 

 bring up sufficient quantities for such a purpose into our inlaud towns. 

 Gradually it became known that by aerating the salt water by means of 

 filtering or agitation it became fitted for the support of animal life. Here 

 then a chance of success to an object long desired seemed to present itself, 

 and the enterprising Secretary of the Zoological Society determined to make 

 a trial on a small scale. He began with sea anemones and some of the 

 more hardy shell-fish, and -succeeded most satisfactorily. While, however, 

 this experiment was in progress a fact of much greater importance became 

 known. It had been observed by vegetable physiologists that plants purify 

 a small quantity of water just as they purify the air, — that is, by taking up 

 carbonic acid and giving out oxygen, — and here was the explanation of the 

 fact of animals living for any length of time in a limited quantity of water, 

 provided there were plants enough to take the carbonic acid which the 

 animals threw off, and supply the oxygen which they needed. The question 

 naturally arose. Why should not sea-weeds do the same for sea-water as 

 fresh-water plants do for fresh water? Various dredgers and sea-shore 



