THE TANK. 



31 



the Aquaria of gentlemen who profess no small share 

 of gout and refinement. Eschew it, good reader, we ad- 

 vise you, altogether ! Arrange your rockwork in its 

 details, artificially as you please, but let its tout ensemUe 

 be quiet and natural. Do not overload with filagree em- 

 bellishments or exaggerations ; and, above all things, 

 remember that every inch of space thus occupied 

 with the still life" of your marine arcadia, will com- 

 pel you to diminish, to a proportionate extent, the ani- 

 mal and vegetable life with which you may propose sub- 

 sequently to accommodate it. 



We do not consider it judicious, therefore, to introduce 

 much rockwork into a small Aquarium. A large one 

 will admit of ample ornament of this character without of- 

 fending a sense of harmony, and without a sacrifice of 

 valuable space. In a small one, however, enough fancy may 

 be displayed with a very pleasing effect. The slate ends 

 of the tank might be quite concealed by facing them with 

 irregular projections and ledges of rock, which you can 

 fashion into quaint shapes and fantastic abruptness out of 

 Roman, Portland, or other cement, which, under wa- 

 ter, quickly hardens into a semblance of stone. Into some 

 of the precipitous declivities and rude precipices thus exe- 

 cuted, you might hollow out cavities for such stones as 

 support the growing plants. In salt-water tanks the sea- 

 weeds may be arranged to drop from the mimic cliffs very 

 naturally ; while the branching corals, having their bases 

 first dipped in the cement, may be attached permanently 



