THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



159 



visiting. Leaving the quarries we followed 

 a rill downwards, a rill which for a portion 

 of its course rippled gently over a turfy bed, 

 but which below gave out silvery music as 

 it plashed and rippled over the stones in 

 its bed. Then commenced a final hunt, 

 this time for the pretty cousin of the Stenus 

 group, Dianous ccerulescens, which has the 

 singular habit of passing its time in the bed 

 of the stream, where it clings to the under- 

 side of stones, often accompanied by a 

 relation Stenus Guynemeri (o£ which I took 

 a specimen two years ago in this same rill), 

 and by Quedius auricomus, which should 

 occur here, but which I have not yet found. 

 These three beetles from their singular 

 habit are known as "waterfall" beetles. 

 Besides the insects above mentioned, I 

 find among my captures a large number of 

 smaller and less conspicuous species, many 

 of which I have not found time to determine, 

 but among them I notice Homalota circel- 

 laris, Falagria sulcata, Quedius loops, Strop- 

 hosomus fdber, PTicedon tumidulum, tfe., $'e, 

 Reaching the Ruthin Road by passing 

 through the farmyard, we wended our way 

 back to Llangollen, where we enjoyed a 

 hearty tea, after which we found that time 

 would only allow us to get to the station in 

 time for our train home, where we arrived 

 about 10 p.m., thoroughly tired but in every 

 way satisfied with our day's collecting on 

 the Welsh mountains. 



101, Everton Road, Liverpool, 

 May 11th, 1884. 



INDOOR 

 NATURAL HISTORY. 



By Albert H. Waters, B.A. 



AQUARIA. 



Marine Aquarium. — This is to my mind 

 the most interesting form of aqua-vivarium, 



and I think most persons who have seen a 

 tank or vase filled with anemones, sabellae, 

 serpulse, and other beautiful forms of 

 marine life, will share that opinion. 



I am writing these articles for the benefit 

 of such young naturalists as have had no 

 experience at all in the making of a marine 

 aquarium, and as it is very improbable such 

 will attempt a tank at first, I will commence 

 with directions how to fit up a vase. 



Having fixed the vase on a suitable stand, 

 fill it about a couple of inches deep with 

 small stones, previously well washed in sea 

 water, and carefully freed from any matter, 

 such as iron or lime, likely to prove injuri- 

 ous. Then get a cracked earthenware jar, 

 of size proportioned to that of the vase ; a 

 marmalade pot with a triangular piece 

 broken out of the upper part, will be just 

 the thing for a small vase of, say, twelve 

 inches in diameter. Stand the jar, mouth 

 upwards, on the stones, and turn the broken 

 part to what is intended to be the back of 

 the aquarium, placing it so that it nearly 

 touches the glass ; cover the top with a 

 smooth slab of marble, chipped into a semi- 

 circular form, then conceal the rest of the 

 jar with pieces of granite, coral, and shells 

 arranged as your taste suggests. 



Now half fill the glass vase with sea water 

 poured gently in. Next get sufficient sea 

 sand to cover the stones an inch or more 

 deep, and put it in with a spoon until you 

 have a nice level floor. The sand should be 

 procured, if possible, from a beach at low 

 tide, and from a spot just beyond low water. 

 It is best taken from the neighbourhood of 

 a mussel bed or among rocks covered with 

 sea weed. Carry it home in a jar of water, 

 as it will contain many creatures in a young 

 or embryo form, and their successive 

 appearance will delight and surprise you ; 

 moreover, many delicate creatures thus in- 

 troduced will live and thrive with good 

 management, whereas it would be impos- 

 sible to keep in a vase for any length of 



