A PRACTICAL yOURNAL FOR AMATEURS. 
Copyright secured, 1878. 
Vol. II. NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1879. No. 2. 
A Tale of a Tub. 
HIRTY years must have 
passed since I set up my 
first aquarium. I had al- 
ways a special fondness 
for birds, flowers, fishes 
and insects. To me a 
snake was as wonderful and 
beautiful as a golden carp or 
goldfish, as they are commonly 
called. And as at this time I 
was put in charge of the cows, to take them to 
the woods, watch them all day and return them 
at night, I was happy beyond all boys. 
The cows were given fresh water every 
evening from a half butter tub, that had been 
in use for this purpose, for several years. One 
day I fell desperately in love with this tub, and 
I determined to possess it at any cost, — it was 
so beautifully moss-grown outside, and inside 
it was lined with what seemed to me the finest 
of velvet or plush, of a beautiful green color, 
only the nap was longer. I struck a bargain 
with my father, which was to the effect that I 
was to weed and thin out the long carrot bed, 
and the tub was then 
to pass into my posses- 
sion. Indue time I ac- 
coraplisli'd my task and 
the tub was mine. Now 
for this beautiful tub 
and Avhat became of it. 
Instinct (for it could scarcely be called rea- 
son) directed me to place it under a grape vine, 
where it obtained the same amount of light to 
which it had been accustomed when standing- 
in the cow's yard. I then filled it with water 
and placed in it eight fresh-water minnows, of 
about three and half inches in length. 
Every day for a month, I fed them on angle 
worms cut up, and they throve amazingly. But 
one day I forgot all about the tub and the fish, 
nor did I think of them again for some two 
months, till one day when looking for a pet 
tortoise that had strayed away, I was greatly 
surprised to find my minnows all alive and as 
plump and frisky as ever. So far as I could see, 
but little change had taken place except that 
the nap on the green velvet had grown longer. 
I was thoroughly mystified. How had the fish 
lived in the same water so long withojut its be- 
ing changed? How had they lived so long- 
without food? I was still more astonished, 
however, when, my conscience smitirig me for 
leaving them to starve, I offered them a boun- 
tiful meal of tenderest angle worms, and they 
