112 FISH POE THE 



varied movements of tlio fish and pleasure in feeding them 

 and rendering them tame, for many in an Aquarium 

 may be made so tame that they will eat out of our hand 

 and allow us to stroke them gently. 



No doubt, almost any of the smaller fish that are caught 

 along our coast may be, in time, made to flourish in a 

 sufficiently capacious tank ; but below I give such fish as 

 I have tried or are mentioned by the different writers on 

 the subject, as desirable for the marine Aquarium. 



The minnow {Fundulus fascialus PI. VI. Fig. 1) stands 

 first for our collection, as he will bear a deal of rough 

 handling that would bo fatal to his more delicate relatives. 

 As Mr. nibberd very correctly remarks, " An Aquarium 

 without minnows is no Aquarium at all — it is a make-shift." 

 The minnow has been called killi-fish in the United States 

 from living in small creeks and streams which were called by 

 the Dutch " kills." He soon gets used to confinement, and 

 in a short time will become so tame as to be fed from the 

 hand. Those that I have will come to the surface and 

 nibble my finger (as I have before mentioned), or follow 

 me as I pass around the tank : thus exhibiting a seeming 

 attachment that we could not expect to find in fish. One 

 of my tame minnows is quite a pet, and has received the 

 appellation of " Minny ;" he has a peculiar way of staring 

 me in the face through the side of his glass-prison, espe- 

 cially when he considers feeding-time has come, lie will, 

 also, allow mo to stroke him gently, but sometimes he 

 resents such familiarity, by turning suddenly around and 

 giving me an astonished look, as if wondering at my impu- 

 dence. 



