THE AQUARIUM. 15 



in the Regent's Park, extensive enough to hold several 

 large tanks, in which both fresh-water and marine plants 

 and animals might be kept for observation ; in the 

 spring of 1853, this house was thrown open to the pub- 

 lic • and immediately the subject of the Aquarium was 

 rendered popular and observers multiplied immensely. These 

 tanks in the Regent's Park have been mostly stocked by 

 Mr. Gossc, whose experience in the management of the 

 vessels is very great, though his first attempts, as he 

 tells us iu his book on " the Aquarium" were for the 

 purpose of keeping fish alone alive, so that he might be 

 enabled to study their habits. He soon, however, found 

 that he might obviate the changing of the water every 

 clay, by introducing plants — and an Aquarium was estab- 

 lished. 



An Aquarium should be constructed on such principles 

 that it will be, to a certain extent, a world in minia- 

 ture, being self-supporting, self-renovating and, in fact, na- 

 ture on a small scale removed into our parlor. In order 

 to obtain this perfection of management, some practice is 

 necessary, and though we may fail once or twice in the 

 attainment of our object, let us remember that every slight 

 mishap is to be ascribed to a fault of our own, to some 

 point, however seemingly insignificant, yet essential, which 

 we have failed to take into consideration. Each such 

 failure leads us to a vast amount of useful facts, not to 

 be obtained otherwise, and which it is our own fault if 

 we do not take advantage of. The thing can be done 

 by you as it has been done by others : so " never dis- 

 pair." It has required and taken years of patient toil 



