296 PEOBLEM FOE SOLUTION. 



of fish life and economy, especially as regards our food fishes, 

 will be determined by Mr. Lloyd at Brighton, and Mr. SaviUe 

 Keiit at the Crystal Palace. In particular, I hope that one 

 or other of these gentlemen will solve a great many of the 

 questions which have been promulgated during late years in 

 regard to the acclimatisation in this country of various kinds 

 of foreign fishes, about which a great deal was at one 

 time spoken and written, but about which to-day all men are 

 silent. "What about the Siluris glanis which some seven or • 

 eight years ago was to become a British fish par excellence ? So 

 far as I can ascertain, notwithstanding the parade that was 

 made at the time with regard to the introduction of the Siluris 

 glanis into this country, all attempts to acclimatise it have 

 failed. I gave a figure of the fish in the first and second 

 editions of the Harvest of the Sea, and as many of my present 

 readers may feel some curiosity about it, I beg to reproduce it. 

 In all probability great marine aquaria will multiply. We 

 shall have them not only at all our great sea-side resorts, but 

 in London and in other large inland towns as well. There is 

 nothing to prevent their being erected at any distance from the 

 sea. The Crystal Palace Aquarium Company have solved any 

 riddle that might pertain to that part of the question. Indeed 

 it is a mistake to suppose that fish or other sea animals cannot 

 be kept in healthy life without sea-water. In the Jan-din 

 cd Acclimatisation at Paris there was an aquarium (land notwith- 

 standing the events of the war it may be there yet), which was 

 kept going in great style by means of a mixture of salt and 

 water. In Glasgow, for instance, a large Aquarium could easily 

 be erected, and I feel sure it. would prove a great attraction, 

 and what is of greater importance — it would pay ! The proper 

 site for it would be in the West-end Park. I have no intention 

 of writing a disquisition on the scientific portion of the aquarium, 

 more especially as regards the sweetening of the water and the 

 best methods of aeration ; these matters may be studied on the 

 spot ; the resident authorities at Brighton and Sydenham will be 

 only too happy to give ioformation on the subject, and excellent 

 handbooks have been issued for both establishments. The real 

 value, hpwevqr, of these institutions wiU consist in their solving 

 the problems connected with our food fishes, and it is to be hoped 

 that at an early date lectures and illustrative descriptions of the 

 fishes in the tanks by experts wUl be instituted as a feature of 

 the exhibitions. 



