120 



Aquatic lite 



An Aquaruim Unquie 



One of my friends, who lives in one 

 of the densest parts of London, takes 

 his guests into a little back room where, 

 to all appearance, the inmates are partly 

 under water, as if in a diving bell. There 

 is only one window to the room, and that 

 window is apparently the only means of 

 keeping the water out. Through the 

 panes are seen fishes swimming about at 



ing crystals, and lighted from above by 

 the blue sky. 



How this curious and beautiful effect 

 can be produced is not easily seen until 

 the inventor throws up the window. As 

 he lays his hand on the sash, the spec- 

 tator is rather startled, because, to all 

 appearance, the glass panes form the 

 barriers against the water. However, 

 the sash glides up easily, and the water 

 does not come in. A closer view betrays 



The Mouth Cichlid Breeder Haplochromis strigigena Original Water Color by E. S. Young 



their ease, sometimes sailing steadily 

 along, and sometimes putting their noses 

 against the window, as if trying to enter 

 the room ; aquatic plants are waving 

 their flexible leafage in the water, while 

 many other inhabitants of the river are 

 flitting about as if in their native haunts. 

 In the middle is a fountain, which throws 

 jets of water high into the air, while, as 

 the spectator directs his gaze upwards, 

 he seems to be looking into a nymph's 

 cavern, rich with stalactites, and srlitter- 



the deception, which is really an ingeni- 

 ous as well as a pretty one. The aqua- 

 rium is built just outside the window, 

 and is about eighteen inches wider on 

 either side. Both sides and the back are 

 made of brick and slate, well cemented, 

 while the front is of a single sheet of 

 plate glass, which is close behind the 

 window panes, and is not seen when the 

 sash is down. The tank is, of course a 

 very large one, and the back being about 

 Concluded on Page 122 



