RIVER GARDENS. 
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CHAPTER I. 
INTRODUCTION. 
« { the culture of some of our most beautiful 
fresh-water plants, in glass Aquaria, many 
of the wild beauties of Nature, in some of 
her most pleasing and interesting aspects, may be 
' wrought into attractive decorations for our ordinary 
living rooms, with very little trouble or expense. 
But this is not the chief object of such Aquaria. 
Their formation has been suggested by the dis¬ 
covery that the growth of aquatic plants will main¬ 
tain the water, contained in such a vessel, in a 
state of purity sufficient for the healthful existence 
of all kinds of animal life of which water is the 
natural element. By means of an Aquarium, there¬ 
fore, the forms and habits of fish, reptiles, and 
aquatic insects may be made to develop themselves 
1 B 
