THE AQUARIUM. 



413 



there is N. cserulea, with its cups of in- 

 tense blue ; N. scutifolia, N. stellata, and 

 N. cyanea, are also beautiful blue species. 

 N. pubescens is pink ; N. rubra, red ; and 

 N. rubra, var. rosea, rose-coloured. Then 

 there is the Egyptian Lotus, N. Lotus ; the 

 Hungarian, N. thermalis, with white 

 flowers ; N. versicolor, the variegated 

 water-lily; and the pure white one, N. 

 blanda. Besides these, the pretty yellow 

 flowers of Villarsia indica, the red blos- 

 soms of Euryale ferox, the yellow flowery 

 Jussieua natans, and the white Alisma 

 cordifolia, make a group of great beauty. 

 The leaves alone of the Nymphseas make 

 them well worthy of cultivation. For the 

 greenhouse aquarium we have an equally 

 extensive selection. Two species of water- 

 lilies, Nymphsea reniformis, and odorata, 

 both with white flowers ; Limnocharis Plu- 

 mierii, and L. Humboldtii, with pretty pale 

 yellow blossoms. The remarkable genus 

 Sarracenia, with their pitcher - shaped 

 leaves, grow best with their roots in shallow 

 water. Jussieua grandiflora, Alisma par- 

 nassifolia, Frontium aquaticum, Hypoxis 

 aquatica, Byblis liniflora, (blue,) Drosera 

 binata, Menyanthes americana, Villarsia 

 lacunosa, and ovata, cum multis aliis, are 

 all beautiful ornaments to the greenhouse 

 aquarium. Few who have not seen a well- 

 arranged aquarium can imagine anything 

 so beautiful as one when in perfection." 



In regard to the structures best adapted 

 for this purpose, we may observe that, as 

 aquatics require the greatest possible de- 

 gree of light, a house that presents the 

 largest surface of glass must be looked 

 upon as the most proper ; nor must they, 

 for the above reason, be placed too far 

 from the glass. A house of the span- 

 roofed form is the most suitable, so far as 

 economy is concerned, as it admits of 

 various heights, which is a positive condi- 

 tion to be observed; but, unfortunately, 

 in such houses the walk is in the middle, 

 and, consequently, the tallest-growing 

 plants would of necessity be placed along 

 both sides of it, to attain head room for 

 them, leaving the smaller, and, indeed, 

 the most interesting, to be placed at too 

 great a distance from the eye. Were low- 

 growing aquatics only to be cultivated, 

 then such a house as fig. 566 would be all 

 that could be desired, and might be con- 

 structed as follows :— The length and 

 breadth may be at the disposal of the pro- 



prietor, but the height should never ex- 

 ceed that which will enable him to walk 

 Fig. 566. 



freely along the passage. A tank or cistern 

 of water should occupy each side, from 

 1 to 2 feet in depth, which will be suffi- 

 cient for the most robust growing kinds. 

 Others, that do not require such a depth, 

 may be elevated in a variety of ways to 

 the depth suitable to their respective 

 habits ; whilst those which grow only in 

 a swampy soil can be accommodated by 

 partitioning off a space for their accommo- 

 dation. That the water in which tropical 

 aquatics grow is warmed by the sun is 

 well known ; it follows that in cultivation 

 an approach to this effect should be at- 

 tempted, and, with this view, hot-water 

 pipes should be placed along the bottom 

 of the water in the tanks, as shown at 

 ////, and pipes of the same kind along 

 the sides at e e, to warm the atmosphere 

 of the structure. It would be unsafe to 

 connect the water in the cisterns with the 

 boiler directly, as in the case of ordinary 

 tank-heating, because earthy and other 

 matter would find its way into the boiler, 

 and be productive of bad effects. The 

 same rule is applicable to a greenhouse 

 aquarium in every respect. The roofs of 

 such houses may be of the fixed kind, 

 which will admit more light, lessen the 

 expense, and have a much better appear- 

 ance. Ventilation is to be effected as so 

 frequently exemplified in this work, and 

 as shown in our woodcut, which, however, 

 is slightly varied from former examples. 

 a a represents the ventilation to the 

 foliage ; c c the ventilation to the passage ; 

 b the ventilation in the ridge. The tanks 

 dd should be built of brick, and cemented, 

 which is not only the cheapest, but also 

 the most durable construction. The roof 

 should be very flat, say from 12° to 15°, in 

 order that the plants may be near the glass. 



