The Home Aquarium 1907 
different varieties of Gwrami, and the 
climbing perch, etc. The fighting fish 
and the Gwrami both breed easily in such 
an aquarium. 
In the stocking of an aquarium one 
needs to be careful that peaceable fish 
are placed only with peaceable, and fish 
of prey only with those capable of de- 
fending themselves. A sharp line, how- 
ever, cannot be drawn, for large fish 
attack small ones indiscriminately, but 
small fish, even if they are pugnaciously 
disposed, do not annoy large ones. Fish 
should be fed on varied 
food, but it must not be 
too rich. They may be 
given lean beef and veal 
chopped fine, small 
worms, ims3ects, etc., but 
ants’ eggs, bread, biscuits, 
etc., are entirely unsuitable 
foods for fish. 
The water never 
requires changing in a 
naturally purified aqua- 
rium. The longer such a 
vessel stands the clearer 
and sweeter it becomes: 
only the evaporated water 
need be replaced. 
It is to be hoped that 
the practice of keeping 
aquaria will become even 
more widely popular than 
at present, for an mcen- 
tive to the study of nature is especially valuable to children who live im large towns. 
PARADISE FISH. 
HOLLY. 
“HivEN before the days of Christianity we find the Romans adorning their homes with 
holly and other evergreen foliage, since the great feast in honour of Saturn fell in the 
Winter season; neighbour presenting to neighbour great bunches of holly in token of 
good-will, thus antedating in their religious worship and kindly greeting something at 
least of the spirit of the glorious song of the angels at the birth of the Messiah. The 
early Christians instead of striving to abolish ingrained customs, confirmed them, but 
‘diverted their meaning, and so the evergreen boughs became the symbol of immortality, 
the expression of rejoicing in the birth of Christ; while the sharply-pricking leaves and 
blood-red berries foreshadowed, in an age of symbolic teaching, the ensanguined cross of 
thorn, the ultimate triumph won through suffermg and death.’—F. Epwarp HunLME, in 
“Wild Fruits of the Country Side.” 
