312 Fresh Water Aquarium 



caving' will make the water impure and may 

 affect the health of the more delicate in- 

 mates of the aquarium. Very small young" 

 fresh-water snails make a good food for 

 some fishes, but they are not easily obtained. 

 The fresh pupa? of the larger species of ants, 

 the so-called ant eggs, which can easily be 

 gathered in woods with a fairly dry soil, 

 or in gardens, where the ants construct 

 their colonies, are an excellent food for 

 most of the inhabitants of an aquarium. 

 Where it is impossible to collect the fresh 

 pupae of the ants, the next best thing is 

 to buy the air-dried ant eggs, offered by 

 all dealers in aquariums and articles be- 

 longing to their keeping. Ant eggs of 

 good quality are light in color. A very 

 much shriveled appearance indicates that 

 the pupse or eggs are old ami therefore unlit 

 for use, as they then contain very little 

 actual nourishment. Many of the ant eggs 

 of commerce are dried by a heating process, 

 which destroys a large percentage of their 



