152 



Aquatic litt 



from back to front than either of them ; 

 this was glazed with opal glass to ex- 

 clude excess of light, dust and fingers. 

 A small cup-hook was put into the lower 

 side of the frame at each end and, verti- 

 cally below each hook, a ^-inch hole 

 was bored through the base board. A 

 small screw-eye was next soldered into 



one end of a *4-inch brass-cased rod, 

 this was passed through the hole in the 

 board, hung on the cup-hook and cut off 

 24 inch below the board ; it was tapped 

 for i inch and fitted with a thumbscrew ; 

 the end was drilled and a split ring fitted. 

 Two such rods were, of course prepared 

 for each set. 



As window blinds are furnished for 

 the Museum, and not for the aquaria, 

 it became necessary to shield the latter 



from the light of sunny Australia. This 

 was done by means of two sheets of 

 glass, one opalized to diffuse the light 

 and confine attention to the inmates in- 

 stead of permitting inspection of the 

 view outside the window, and the other 

 of green color to be used when direct 

 sunlight fell upon the aquaria. These 

 sheets rested upon the felt on the base- 

 board and were inclined backwards 

 above, being caught by a fillet on the 

 underside of the frame, which it will be 

 remembered is three inches wider than 

 the accumulator jars. Ample air space 

 is thus insured between the glass sheets 

 and the wall of the aquarium, a provision 

 made to counteract the heating rays of 

 the sun coming through the window. 



To feed the inmates or clean the ves- 

 sels, the attendant gives the thumbscrews 

 two or three turns and unhooks the rods 

 from the frame ; the rods drop to the 

 baseboard, but cannot fall to the ground, 

 owing to the size of the screw-eyes. As 

 the frame is lifted the vertical sheets of 

 glass are allowed to rest against the win- 

 dow pane, and are replaced against the 

 fillet when the operation is finished. 



The photograph shows the arrange- 

 ment as seen from the front. Two labels 

 are placed beneath each vessel, one giv- 

 ing the name of the plant and the other 

 that of the animal occupant. The sketch 

 illustrates the fittings as seen from one 

 end. 



Diseases are not the only thing that 

 are contagious. Courage is contagious. 

 Kindness is contagious. Manly integrity 

 is contagious. All positive virtues with 

 red blood in their veins are contagious. — 

 Henry Van Dyke. 



It were happy if we studied nature 

 more in natural things ; and acted accord- 

 ing to nature, whose rules are few, plain 

 and most reasonable. — William Penn. 



