Aquatic Hilt 



157 



Doubtless there are a number of ana- 

 tomical points that are quite different in 

 the Wood Terrapin, as compared with 

 the corresponding ones in any of the 

 three Pond Turtles described above. As 

 to its external characters, they are each 

 and all entirely different when we come 

 to contrast them with those of the Spot- 

 ted Turtle, of the Western Pond, and 

 those of Muhlenberg's Turtle. 



The distinctive external characters of 

 the three pond turtles on the one hand, 

 and the Wood Terrapin on the other, 

 have, together with their habits, been 

 sufficiently set forth above, obviating the 

 necessity for their tabulation here. The 

 marked differences have long been 

 known to herpetologists who are familiar 

 with them. All this points to the fact 

 that the Wood Terrapin is an entirely 

 different species of reptile from any of 

 the Pond Turtles. This being the case, 

 it represents a different genus among 

 chelonians, and this difference should be 

 recognized through drawing the neces- 

 sary generic lines. 



I therefore here suggest that the three 

 above referred to Pond Turtles, now in 

 the genus Chelopus, be removed from 

 that group and made to form a genus by 

 themselves, for which I propose the 

 name of Melanemys, which refers to 

 their general black color. These turtles 

 will then stand thus : 



Melanemys guttatus 



Melanemys muhlenbergii 



Melanemys marmoratus. 



The Wood Terrapin will remain 

 Chelopus insculptus, which is the name 

 it now bears in science. 



Lots of men are liars who never even 

 tried to catch a fish. 



Hard work always stands at the top of 

 the list of factors in success. 



Marine Aquaria 



At the meeting of the South Austra- 

 lian Aquarium Society, in March, the 

 presidential address was delivered by 

 Mr. Edgar R. Waite, F. L. S., who dem- 

 onstrated the principles and practices of 

 the marine aquarium. After detailing 

 some of the physical properties of sea 

 water, its density, salinity, composition 

 and so on, Mr. Waite remarked : 



"In keeping aquaria we seek to trans- 

 late to our own homes a little bit of Na- 

 ture, one of the bits of which few people 

 have any knowledge. We do not, how- 

 ever, try to reproduce the mountain tor- 

 rent, which may have a fauna and flora 

 quite its own, not even the conditions 

 found in an ordinary stream. We 

 rather attempt to copy the stagnant, 

 often slimy pool, whose surface may be 

 forbidding, but whose water beneath is 

 often clean and limpid. Such a pool in- 

 closed in glass walls we can nowadays 

 place in our rooms and preserve in ex- 

 cellent condition with very little atten- 

 tion. 



Turning to the immediate subject of 

 our discourse, we may ask where shall 

 we find a similar ocean pool? The an- 

 swer must be a negative one, and it is 

 evident, therefore, that the conditions 

 required for maintaining a marine aqua- 

 rium must be different from those with 

 which we are familiar as votaries of 

 freshwater aquaria. The ocean is ever 

 in motion, and its waters are being con- 

 tinually revivified by its often enormous 

 billows. We cannot, therefore, attempt 

 to translate a cubic yard of open ocean 

 to pur drawing room. On rocky shores 

 we often find pools left by the receding 

 tide, full of sparkling water and bright 

 green seaweeds, among which lurks a 

 wealth of life. This, then, must be our 

 guide, but it is to be remembered that 

 Concluded on page 160 



