aquatic Hitt 



131 



The Aquarium Vacuum Cleaner 



The Acton Electric Company, manu- 

 facturers of a famous tungsten lamp, 

 has placed on the market an ingenious 

 invention that will fill a long- felt want 

 of the aquarist. The euphonious name, 

 "Aquarium Vacuum Cleaner," in itself 

 explains the purpose of the device, which 

 retails at fifty cents to 

 one dollar, according to 

 size. 



Several members of 

 the firm, themselves 

 practical aquarists, came 

 to the conclusion that 

 the old - fashioned 

 method of syphoning 

 sediment from the 

 aquarium with a hose, 

 or its tedious removal 

 with a single dip tube, 

 was an aggravation and 

 could be improved ; 

 hence the vacuum clean- 

 er. With it but a few 

 minutes will be con- 

 sumed in cleaning the 

 bottom of the largest 

 aquaria. It is merely 

 necessary to close the 

 end of the tube with a 

 finger, then insert the 

 other in the aquarium with the orifice 

 close to the bottom. Releasing the finger 

 will cause a rush of water, carrying the 

 dirt into the reservoir. The operation 

 may be checked at any time by replacing 

 the finger. To empty the cleaner it is 

 only necessary to turn it upside down. 

 We have no hesitancy in commending 

 this invention. Every reader should have 

 one. 



The Acton Company informs the edi- 

 tor that they have applied for patents 

 on an automatic syphon, and although 

 it has not yet been examined, if it is as 



thorough in its work as the aquarium 

 vacuum cleaner its success is already 

 assured. Aquarists should hail with de- 

 light any device that makes labor light. 



Pets: Their History and Care. By 

 Lee S. Crandall. 372 pages, 138 illus- 

 trations from life. 



Every normal person has an innate 

 love of wild things and a desire to have 

 them about him. Few individuals have 

 not at one time or another had a pet. 

 and the term pet is an exceedingly broad 

 expression, usually though not always 

 given to forms of life evincing some de- 

 gree of intelligence in their actions. In 

 this admirable volume the author con- 

 ducts one through the whole gamut of 

 pet life, from the lowest to the highest. 

 Truly it is "everyman's" book. In it 

 one finds the history, care and habits of 

 the dogs, cats, monkeys, cavies, rabbits, 

 rats and mice ; the birds — pheasants, pea- 

 fowl, pigeons, bantams, cranes, ducks, 

 geese, swans, hawks, owls, parrots, 

 canaries and other small cage birds 

 galore. Not the least interesting are the 

 splendid chapters on reptiles, batrach- 

 ians, goldfish, native and exotic fishes, 

 and the care and management of the 

 aquarium. Every illustration is from a 

 photograph. The author evidently rec- 

 ognized the fact that even the most 

 accurate drawing falls far short of a 

 photograph in fidelity to nature. The 

 historical accounts of the various species 

 are of such interest that many readers, 

 whether they have pets or not, will read 

 the book as a source of rare entertain- 

 ment. The work is at once authoritative 

 and comprehensive, though the author 

 has wisely omitted mention of such 

 forms as are beyond possession by an 

 individual. 



Pets: Their History and Care, 

 costs $2.00, plus postage on three pounds, 

 and may be obtained from Aquatic Life 

 Book Department. 



