zdOLOGICAL GARDENS AND AQUARIA FOR BOSTON 



27 



poises, and white Avliales, — and also for evad- 

 ing birds and all such animals as frequent the 

 borders of the sea and can be most advanta- 

 geously shown in the open air. 



The more varied and interesting collections 

 will be placed in aquaria protected by a suit- 

 able building-. The visitor will first enter a 

 hall devoted to the exposition of the relations 

 of animals and plants to their surroiuidings, 

 together with a small synoptical collection 

 which, by the aid of dissections and proper 

 guides, will unfold the differences between the 

 great groups of animals and marine plants, and 

 the correlations between their habits and nat- 

 ural surroundino-s and also between these and 

 their structure. The suitability of organisms 

 to do the work they have to perform will be 

 illustrated in many ways, and clear ideas of 

 some of the fundamental laws of organic modi- 



fication will be jjresented to intelligent visitors 

 and students. Thus, the changes which have 

 taken place in the structure of the descendants 

 of air-breathing land animals in order to fit 

 them for life in the sea will be abundantly 

 illustrated. 



The main collection will show in separate 

 groups the animals found associated in the dif- 

 ferent oceanic areas and in the distinct zones 

 of life found between the shore and the deep sea. 

 Here again only the measure of the success 

 attending the undertaking will mark the limit 

 to Avhich it will be possible to go in displaying 

 the inhabitants of distant waters. The fauna 

 south of Cape Cod is in large part easy of ac- 

 quisition, the animals exceedingly varied and 

 even brilliant, and they would be well rejjre- 

 sented in special series of aquaria. Our own 

 marine fauna and flora will be kept apart and 



