THE FRESH-WATER AQUARIUM. 131 
which in forest, field or fen, invite the search of the botanist 
and the lover of nature. 
Perhaps subsequent articles may give some notes upon the 
flowers of later spring, summer and autumn, with a floral 
calendar, and possibly an enumeration of some plants and 
shrubs well worthy of a place in garden or shrubbery, but 
hitherto neglected. If this shall sueceed in leading any to a 
closer study of nature's beauty, and the goodness and glory 
of the Creator, its object will be answered. 

THE FRESH-WATER AQUARIUM. 
BY C. B. BRIGHAM. 

Tue art of preserving water animals alive and in good 
condition, as pets or as objects of study, is not of recent 
date; but the principles of what is now commonly known 
as the aquarium, were not until lately brought into general 
notice. The Romans had their tanks of game fish, the 
English and French gardeners their vessels for the growth 
of tender water-lilies or other valuable aquatic plants, yet 
the happy thought of uniting the two, — fishes and plants, — 
so that the one should balance the other, each aiding in the 
others support, making withal a collection of such propor- 
tions as to be conveniently kept indoors, is the production 
of comparatively late years. 
Dr. Johnstone, of Liverpool, has the reputation of having 
been the first to apply practically the principles of the aqua- 
rium; he made experiments with the Corallina officinalis, 
Starfish, Conferve, and some small plants of the Ulva latis- 
sima, and found that they flourished for eight weeks without 
being disturbed; this led him to try some fresh-water fishes 
and larve, and they succeeded even better than the salt- 
Water specimens. Since then Gosse, Hibberd, Warington 

