THE AQUARIUM. 



419 



whole might be covered with straw hur- 

 dles, and by this precaution many exotic 

 aquatics might be preserved. Circular 

 forms would be equally elegant, but there 

 would be greater difficulty attending their 

 erection, as the joints could not be so 

 well formed, unless the tanks were con- 

 structed of plates of iron, which in some 

 instances would be perhaps the cheapest, 

 but might not be equally durable, in 

 consequence of the oxidation that would 

 take place. This, however, painting with 

 anti-corrosion paint would in a great 

 measure prevent. Sckell's aquarium was 

 intended to form one quarter of a small 

 botanic collection of aquatics, the cisterns 

 forming the centre. 



The divisions towards the end from 

 which the waste water is intended to flow, 

 being securely separated from the others 

 by being set at a little lower level, might 

 be filled with salt water kept to a proper 

 state of saltness by adding salt to it occa- 

 sionally; and in them marine aquatics, 

 many of which are exceedingly curious 

 as well as beautiful, might be kept in 

 good preservation. 



The tropical aquarium at Chatsworth, at 

 once the most elegant and extensive re- 

 Fig. 



cently constructed in this country, will be 

 understood by a reference to fig. 574, which 

 Fig. 574. 



is a ground-plan, and fig. 575, which is a 

 section through the centre of the tank. 

 575. 



The dimensions of this house are 61^ 

 feet in length and 46| feet broad. The 

 tank a is circular, and occupies the cen- 

 tre ; it is 33 feet in diameter, with a 

 smaller tank, b, within it, in which the 

 Victoria is planted, of 16 feet across. 

 The angles cut off in forming the cir- 

 cular tank and passage round it, within 

 the rectangular figure of the house, are 

 divided into eight compartments, c c, and 

 dedicated to the growth of various species 



of aquatics. The entrances d are from 

 the two opposite ends, and are ascended 

 by flights of steps — the floor of the 

 house being 3 feet 6 inches above the 

 ground-level. This is a most judicious 

 arrangement, as aquariums should not be 

 lofty houses ; and this rising of the floor 

 gives a proper proportion to the elevation 

 of the structure— the whole height, in- 

 cluding the parapet wall, being 27 feet 4 

 inches, and the internal height 23 feet — ■ 



