THE FRKSH-WATEK AQUAKIUM. 89 



of our tank, where his many-colored sides glisten In the 

 sun like a rainbow. Small minnows cannot be kept with 

 sun-fish, as those gentlemen, when they arc hungry, are 

 rather fond of nibbling at minny's tail, thus damaging his 

 beauty as an ornamental fish, and making it rather tiresome 

 for him to get along until his tail grows again. I once had a 

 little minnow (about an inch and a half long) who had his 

 tail entirely bitten off by shrimps and crabs, and could not 

 swim with the speed and grace of his fellows. He, poor 

 fellow, had to wag the entire hind part of his body, and 

 U sc it as a screw propeller in lieu of a tail. I must say, 

 however, that I think he deserved the treatment he got, for 

 he was an extremely pugnacious little chap, and would 

 attack my crabs for the purpose of stealing their food, 

 when larger fish would hold back in fear. After about two 

 months, his tail grew out finely again ; but he had accus- 

 tomed himself so to swim without the help of that appen- 

 dage, that, to the present day, he propels himself by wag- 

 ging one entire half of his body. Sticklebacks are not 

 safe creatures in a tank with small fish, or even with 

 minnows, but with large ones, say, of three inches in length, 

 they will do well enough. A few lizards and tadpoles can 

 be introduced, and will be found to be excellent servants in 

 keeping the tank clean and the glass bright ; suails, of 

 course, must be used (as I have before mentioned) and we 

 can, in the choice of them, suit our own taste and fancy. 



The round and graceful Lymvca and Physa, or the Ammo- 

 njfe-fprmed Pldnorhis, the bulky Paludina and the long cone- 

 shaped Mdama, may all be introduced as we can procure 

 them ; and some of these species, especially the Lymnc/i, are 



