THE YOUNG 



NATUKALIST. 



187 



growing plants in pots, or freshly cut sods 

 of clover in blossom. I do not, however, 

 recommend much foliage, as the butterflies 

 and moths soon knock their wings to pieces 

 fluttering amongst it. A small saucer con- 

 taining sugar and water, and covered with 

 perforated zinc, is best for feeding purposes, 

 but flowers may_be introduced by those who 

 study effect. 



AQUARIA 



Freshwater Aquarium {Continued). — Fo r 

 young naturalists I decidedly recommend 

 the vase, or inverted propagating glass, 

 both for this and the marine aquarium. 

 Tanks are such expensive things that their 

 cost places them out of the reach of youth- 

 ful zoologists with a limited amount of 

 pocket money, while, on the other hand, a 

 vase can be purchased for a few pence. In 

 choosing one, see that it is perfectly straight 

 from the edge to the point where it is roun- 

 ded. Get it as wide as possible in propor- 

 tion to its depth, and, of course, you will 

 take care to see that it is free from flaws 

 and air bubbles. I cannot speak favourably 

 of the globe-shaped abominations in which 

 many people compel gold-fish to pass a 

 miserable existence, and, if you think of 

 starting an aquarium in one, the best advice 

 I can give you is— Don't ! 



Although I recommend vases, yet if any 

 of my readers desire to construct a tank 

 they will find a cement composed of white 

 lead, red lead, and litharge answer well. 

 After it is made it must be put aside for a 

 month or two to get thoroughly dry, and 

 the cement should then be covered with 

 pitch, as should also the bottom of the tank. 

 The fish should not be placed in for some 

 months, and in this interval the tank should 

 be repeatedly filled with water and as often 

 emptied. 



An aquarium that will be found to answer 

 well can be comparatively cheaply construc- 

 ted with three sides and the bottom of wood 

 and the front of glass. 



Whether it be a vase or a tank the bottom 

 should be covered with fine, well-washed 

 sand, in which neither calcareous nor ferru- 

 ginous particles occur. I have already (page 

 119) given hints for the arrangement of the 

 rockwork. In the sandy stratum just men- 

 tioned Anacharis and Valisneria may be 

 planted, and, if your aquarium be a large 

 one, some Potamogeton and a small rush or 

 two will have a very effective appearance. 

 If possible, the water should be taken from 

 a clear river or running stream ; and when 

 the aquarium is once made up and filled, it 

 should not be disturbed except for very 

 urgent reasons. To enumerate all the fish 

 suitable for an aquarium wou'd take too 

 much space. Prussian carp do well and do 

 not require much attention. Gold-fish are 

 easy to keep in a well-ordered aquarium, 

 but they require to be carefully protected 

 from cold. Minnows too present no diffi- 

 culty. Bleak live well through the winter, 

 but they are very apt to die when the 

 breeding season approaches, and, indeed, all 

 fish are delicate at that time. Sticklebacks 

 are very hardy, and so bold and familiar in 

 their ways that they are sure to be favourites 

 with all. The only drawback is, they fight 

 so furiously that it is impossible to safely 

 keep them together. The best plan is to 

 keep them in separate vases by themselves. 

 Scraped meat, or small worms, is the best 

 food for this, as of most fishes. 



It is advisable to keep the various kinds 

 of fresh-water mollusca, asLimnea, Paludina, 

 Planorbis, Cyclas cornea, Anodonta cygnea, and 

 Unto pictorum in special vases. Fish will 

 not only pull them about and kill them, but 

 they will also eat the spawn and young. 

 Fresh-water shrimps (Gammarus puhx) and 

 that abundant crustacean, Asellus aquaticus, 

 may be kept with them, and will not 

 only make the aquarium look lively, 

 but will be useful as scavengers also, 

 and will soon devour any unnoticed dead 

 mollusc. 



