THE FRESH-WATER AQUARIUM. 



23 



ment it by giving them small worms — blood-worms do 

 admirably — flies, and other insects. Some of the dealers 

 supply the pupae of ants for this purpose under the 

 appellation of " ants' eggs." 



But there are animals even higher in the scale of 

 organisation than the fishes suitable for the aquarium. 

 We allude to the Newts, of which two species inhabit our 

 ponds. In spite of the bad character these perfectly 

 inoffensive creatures have obtained, they will be found 

 a great addition to the attractiveness of the aquarium. 

 The smallest and most common species is the Smooth 

 Newt {Lissotriton pimctahis)^ a. pretty little fellow with 

 olive-coloured back and legs, orange spotted with black 

 beneath. During spring the male is ornamented with a 

 fine frill, which extends from the back of the head and 

 all along the back to the tip of the tail. But greatly 

 exceeding it in beauty is the Great Warty Newt, a 

 plentiful species, but not so common as its smaller 

 congener. In this species the frill is very deep 

 and repeatedly notched. They should be fed with 

 worms. 



The development of these interesting creatures can 

 be easily watched, for they breed freely in the aquarium. 

 The female lays her eggs singly, attaching them to the 

 leaves of A?iac/iaris, CallitricJie^ox Potaniogeton^ and fold- 

 ing the leaf over the egg. In that position the leaf 

 remains, for it is glued to the egg by an insoluble cement. 

 And well the egg requires the protection, for hungry 

 fish are always on the look-out for such delicacies. In 

 due course the eggs will hatch out, and as the result we 

 shall have a number of little creatures similar in form to 

 a small "tadpole." Respiration is carried on in these 

 by means of gills, or external branchicu^ but as they 



