The Zoologist — August, 1874. 4113 



has never been successful, and is now, as we are informed, in a dis- 

 graceful state. The Director of the Vienna Aquarium has given a 

 somewhat indefinite reply to our enquiries, which suggests the idea 

 that radical alterations in the system of management are already 

 deemed necessary ; and we learn from other sources that its present 

 condition is unsatisfactory. On the other hand, the Hamburg 

 establishment is eminently healthy and successful. As regards that 

 of the Jardin d'Acclimatation, its Director writes that its inhabitants 

 enjoy " une excellente sanle," and adds, " L'aquarium a eu grand 

 succes; aujourd'hui il y a lieu de lui donner une grande extension." 

 Finally, we can testify from our own careful examination of the 

 Crystal Palace Aquarium to its eminent success in a biological 

 point of view. The most delicate animals, such as Cerianlhus 

 Lloydii, groups of Mediterranean corals, large masses of Sabellae, 

 the rare slar-fish Uraster glacialis, &c.,.are maintained in conspicu- 

 ously good health ; and the still rarer star-fish Lluidia fragilissima 

 renews its lost parts ; the fishes, many of them of rare species, are 

 not only in perfect health, but are almost free from those parasitic 

 growths to which they are so subject in confinement; many of the 

 larger specimens consist of the very individuals introduced at the 

 opening of the aquarium; while the water in every tank is beauti- 

 fully transparent, brilliant, and sparkling. We conclude, therefore, 

 that the system of which these three aquaria are examples, and 

 which is to be also adopted at the projected establishments of 

 Manchester and Southport, is right in principle and effective 

 in practice ; while that of which Brighton is a type, is essentially 

 faulty in theory and unsuccessful in practice. 



2nd. In reference to the conditions of financial success, we find 

 that, after eliminating from our consideration those establishments 

 the constitution of which clearly renders them useless as examples 

 for our guidance, the data at our command are somewhat meagre, 

 and that we can do little more than lay before the Committee 

 certain broad general principles, confirmed by the experience of 

 the most practiced and successful of aquarian naturalists. Thus 

 we find that the capital invested at Berlin is £65,000 ; at Vienna, 

 i£34,400; at Brighton, nearly £100,000; while the projected Com- 

 panies of Liverpool, Great Yarmouth, Ramsgate, and Southport 

 propose to raise, respectively, the sums of £6'0,000, £50,000, 

 £40,000, and £60,000. We are not in possession of data as to 

 the cost of the Manchester Aquarium, inasmuch as the Secretary 



