THE CHAEACTEIilSTICS OF AN AQUARIUM. 19 



performed ia that other theatre of being, to which nature 

 has so long refused even to sell us a ticket of admission ? 



Turn to the Aquaria ! Ring up the curtain of your 

 thoughts. There, indeed, is comedy and tragedy, broad 

 farce and exciting melodrama. 



For warriors, lo ! we have the fish known as the Goby, 

 who turns quite black with rage when he beholds his 

 prey, and whose turquoise-colored eyes light up with fury 

 as he dashes to the fierce encounter. We have, too, the 

 graceful Stickleback, who makes his nest like a bird, 

 waits upon his mistress with all the gentle complaisance 

 of the knight-errand of old, and enters the lists in his 

 uniform of glowing scarlet trimmed with white and green, 

 or deep, deep purple, to do battle for the object of his 

 affections. The Stickleback adores the tournament. In 

 the heat of conflict his gorgeous colors flash out intensely 

 in their brilliance. Defeated, his war-paint fades into the 

 dullest hues, or only flickers changefully up in his dying 

 throes, as if, in death, he had a dream of victory. For 

 ogres, we have the AdinicBj who, garbed in the seductive 

 costume of the gayest flowers, lie in wait for thoughtless 

 victims. Their delicate petals are a thousand murderous 

 arms, prepared to grasp at all of Annelid life that may be 

 tempted to embrace them ; while every pretty crimson dot 

 conceals a poisoned barb, which they project unerringly 

 as death at passing Infusorice. For sentimental perform- 

 ers we have the Sea Cucumber and the Starfish. Some 

 of the former, when irritated, deliberately commit suicide 



