114 



THE FAMILY AQUARIUM. 



eel, are so familiar to our readers, that v/e forbear all 

 expatiation upon their appearance or peculiarities. Al- 

 most any breakfast or dinner-table, on the seaboard of 

 our country, will be prepared to exhibit them. Our in- 

 land friends may obtain them from the nearest coast by 

 furnishing, not a description, but the mere titles of them. 

 Young flounders, when quite small, are amusing on account 

 of their novel mode of swimming. The poggee is rather 

 too much disposed to hug the bottom of the tank to show 

 to advantage ; and yet his plate-armor, running in re- 

 gular longitudinal lines, and displaying so many sharp 

 ridges from hea.d to tail, would be unique and attractive, 

 could he often be tempted to invite criticism. 



The Tansy [Blennius pkolis) is a sort of changeable 

 silk in color, and has bright scarlet eyes. He can exist 

 on the smallest possible amount of oxygen, and is a pocket- 

 edition of a fish nicely suited to an Aquarium, when you 

 can get hold of him. The mullet will do, because, if the 

 water be not well oxygenated he will ascend to the sur- 

 face, and pilfer it from the atmosphere. 



The Wrasse {Lahrus mamlatus)^ with his crimson ma- 

 culations, is inconveniently overgrown in point of longi- 

 tude, in our opinion, for our object. He is handsome, but 

 cannot conveniently come in." 



The Black Goby {Gohius niger), with his turquoise- 

 blue eyes, is another illustration of the occasional defects 

 of beauty. He is a voracious glutton. Dog will not eat 

 dog is a common saying, but the goby will devour his 



