CHAPTER V. 



THE ZOOPHYTES. 



The Aquarium having been furnished with its vege- 

 tation, and rendered as picturesque as possible by 

 the well-arranged juxtaposition of felicitously-con- 

 trasting forms and colours, the water must be 

 allowed to settle for some days, until it is as clear as 

 pale-green crystal, before the animals are introduced 

 to their new home. When the Alpine scenery of 

 the submarine landscape appears perfectly settled, 

 and all its colours and forms are seen with beautiful 

 distinctness through the clarified waters, then the 

 still life is ready to be associated with the more active 

 organizations of animated creatures. Before speak- 

 ing of Molluscs, or Crustacea, or of Pish, suitable 

 to the Aquarium, let us first devote all our attention 

 to our Zoophytes^ those singular creatures whose 

 strange instincts and anomalous forms have been 

 mainly instrumental in attracting the attention 

 of many classes of the public to that curious in- 

 terest in Aquaria, which is fast spreading into 

 a mania, threatening to absorb all others in its 



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