Water-snail and Stickleback in Confinement. 3633 



Observations on the Natural History of the Water-snail and Fish, 

 kept in a confined and limited portion of Water. By Robert 

 Warington, Esq.* 



My object in bringing the accompanying observations before the 

 public, is to endeavour to direct, more in detail than 1 have hitherto 

 been able to do, the attention of naturalists, and those who take a 

 delight and pleasure in the study of Nature's wonderful and glorious 

 works, to a very simple means of easily investigating the habits and 

 ceconomy of all those numerous classes of animal and vegetable life 

 that are capable of being brought within the limited precincts of the 

 small water-cases I have elsewhere described.? And when I state 

 that these observations have been made by one most ignorant on the 

 subject of Natural History, and a perfect tyro in this field of research, 

 as the details of this communication will fully demonstrate ; when I 

 mention also that they have been made at leisure intervals of very 

 short duration, snatched as an amusement and as opportunities occur- 

 red from the weightier matters of professional business; — I hope that 

 it may encourage others to follow in the same most interesting course 

 of investigation, when, aided by a little perseverance, they may ensure 

 for themselves an abundant reward. The matured naturalist I am 

 sure will agree with me in the argument, that if such observations can 

 be made by those unacquainted with the subject, and without trouble 

 or inconvenience, it does offer a means of research which should de- 

 velope some most interesting and important results, and that the same 

 principle is capable of being extended to a much larger scale ; a de- 

 monstration of which I believe will be very speedily exhibited. As 

 regards the growth of the plants employed in these miniature ponds, I 

 have already briefly treated in the * Garden Companion ' for January 

 last, and shall therefore confine myself in the present communication 

 to the two other members of the circle ; and first — 



The Water-snail. This important element in all the cases where 

 the removal of the decaying vegetable matter, or the growth of Con- 

 fervae, is necessary, to enable the generality of fish to live healthily, 

 as must arise in most stagnant waters and ponds, offers to our con- 

 sideration some very interesting phenomena. In commencing my 

 experiments in the early part of 1849, I had employed the Limnea 



* Published in the ' Annals of Natural History/ and obligingly sent to me by the 

 author for insertion in this journal. — E. N. 



f Zoologist, 2868. 

 X. 2 T 



