few wished it called vivarium, but the objection was quickly made 
that a zoological garden was a vivarium, as was also a dog kennel 
and a stable. Another word special to the preservation of marine 
life was necessary, and to meet the need the word aquavivarium 
was proposed. It was correct, but, alas, it was too long for daily 
use, and so by common consent the incorrect term aquarium was 
adopted. The linguists who said aquarius meant a water-man 
could not resist the tide, and so aquarium, however philologically 
objectionable, is a fixed word. 
Although the aquarium is the result of recent knowledge, the 
preservation of live fish has been in use for centuries. The fish 
ponds were the most natural and the earliest of all the means of 
keeping fish in readiness for any use. The ancient Romans vied 
with one another in the attention paid to their preserves, and they 
spared no expense in stocking their ponds with the most beautiful 
forms. The stories told of these ponds seem almost mythical. 
It was not uncommon to have them connected with the banquet¬ 
ing hall. The favorite fish seems to have been the Red Mullet. 
Clothed in brilliant colors of bright red, mingled with silvery tints 
upon its sides, the Red Mullet owes much of its celebrity to its 
attractive colors. Not only for its beauty of form and color, but 
for its delicacy, did the Romans cultivate this fish in their ponds. 
The rich patricians of Rome enjoyed seeing the Mullet expire 
under their eyes, while at table, for thus only were they able to 
see the various shades of purple, violet and blue, which succeeded 
each other, passing from cinnabar-red to the palest white, as the 
animal losing its strength, slowly expired. The Mullet was of 
great value and an evidence of wealth. One weighing 4J- pounds 
is said to have cost $300; but in the reign of Caligula the price 
became so high that $1200 was paid for a fine specimen. 
Although the Red Mullet is no longer the object of cruel enjoy¬ 
ment, or of prodigal expenditure, it is still much sought after, 
both for its beauty of color and its tender flesh. It is found'in 
many seas, but particularly in the Mediterranean. 
In Pliny, we read that the fish pond of a Roman patrician was 
sold for more than $160,000, and that the fish from the pond of 
Lucullus brought an equal amount. The Romans gave also 
great care toqhe preservation of oysters and sought them far and 
