THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Maech 23, 1858. 381 
begins to rise, a little fresh water must be added to keep it 
down. 
. To make artificial water fit for use, the best plan is to mis 
it in an earthen pan, bring it to a proper density, and then 
throw in some waste Alga) of any kind, such as the dealers 
pack the specimens in for travelling. In the absence of waste 
sea weed, some tufts of TJlva or Tnteromorpha must be put 
in, and left for at least a week, at the end of which time the 
water may be transferred to the aquarium. Take out the 
plants, and put them where they are to remain in the tank, 
and pass the whole of the water through a filter. I find 
nothing so effectual for a filter as a clean old fiower-pot, and 
in my sanctum, where my marine vessels are used rather for 
study than show, I keep a sis-incli pot always swinging over 
each; into the hole thrust a piece of sponge, just tight 
enough to allow the water to drip rather rapidly, and it 
will pass through as brilliant as if just dipped from mid¬ 
channel. A chemist’s glass funnel is a more elegant filter.* 
A beginner should first adopt the pretty, but very common, 
“ Mcs,” that is, Actinia mesembryanthemum , or Strawberry 
Anemone. This is the hardiest of the whole race of sea 
flowers, and plentiful as it is everywhere on # all parts of the 
coast, it-claims a place in the richest and choicest collection. 
In real sea water, half a dozen sorts may be adopted at once, 
and the easiest to manage, in addition to the one named, are 
the snaky-locked Anemone, the grand Plumosa or Dianthus , 
the delicate Daisy Troglodytes clavata , and gemmacea , the 
“ gem.” With such animals it is of the first importance to have 
some healthy tufts of green Algae, and the two kinds so often 
recommended, are TJlva latissima , the sea Lettuce, and 'En¬ 
ter omorpha compressa , a very grass-like and fast-growing 
plant. These not only enhance the beauty of the scene, as 
they spread their bright fronds over the rockwork, but they 
contribute to the water that primal element of organic life, 
oxygen. Here, however, we note a remarkable difference as 
to economy and management between the marine and river 
tank. In the fresh water vessel, a sufficiency of plants is sure 
to be productive of a sufficiency of oxygen, but in a marine 
vessel the plants alone are never sufficient , and artificial 
means must be resorted to, as a sort of atmospheric “ rate in 
aid.” I have heard it stated by “learned lecturers,” and 
have seen statements in the books of “ learned writers,” to 
the effect, that you have only to leave the whole to Nature; 
but, from patient observation and experiment, I am prepared 
to maintain against all comers, that to leave a marine collection 
to Nature, as they call it, is to give the creatures free consent 
to perish as soon as they please; and they will not be slow to 
avail themselves of the privilege of entering into a state of 
corruption. 
After all, this supposed “leaving it to Nature,” is, in re¬ 
ality, perverting Nature; for does not the good old mother 
teach us that incessant motion is the normal condition of the 
* The composition of marine salts is as followsCommon salt 81 
parts; Epsom salts 7 parts; chloride of magnesia 10 parts ; chloride of 
potassium 2 parts. Or common salt 3A ozs.; Epsom salts ,} oz. ; chlo¬ 
ride of magnesium 200 grains, troy; chloride of potassium 40 grains, 
troy. Dissolve in river or spring water and dilute to sp. gr. 1'028.. 
ocean brine, and these tender creatures that cling to the 
hollows of rocks, or perambulate the ooze and sand in moist 
twilight, are continually having brought down to them myriads 
of entangled air bubbles, which the agitations of the surface 
entrap, and in a tank the specimens are never so thoroughly 
hearty and beautiful as when the water is frequently agitated. 
Stock your tank and leave all quiet. In a few days some ! 
of the Actinese will shut up shop. Some of the plants will 
drop a few fronds, which collecting at the bottom form the 
first layer of black decomposing matter. * Still leave it alone, 
and others will close in like manner, and as the animals re¬ 
lapse into a passive immobile and uninteresting condition, 
there will be a still larger collection of vegetable refuse, exuviee 
of Actinese, and other objectionable substances, and a few days 
more will herald the beginning of death, and very soon all 
will be over with your pretty creatures. 
But vary the experiment, and you get a key to the whole 
routine of management. When the vessel first begins to 
look shabby, hang a filter over it; then take a small jug, dip it 
full, and pour it back a few times, with a good bold dash, so 
as to stir up all the filth from the bottom, and while the 
water is in a cloudy state fill the filter, and as fast as it gets I 
empty stir up the tank and fill again. Every jugful you dip 
after having first dashed one back to stir up the muck, will 
bring with it much of the refuse, which the filter will separate 
from it, returning it to the tank sparkling and pellucid. The 
quiet way of just filling a drip glass at the surface, is not a 
tenth part so effectual as this bold style of operations, as you 
will find by a comparison of the way in which the Anemones 
plump themselves up, and put on all their filigree and finery, 
when a thorough agitation of the water realises those very 
natural conditions they are accustomed to in their submarine 
homes. Of course, there is no need to spoil the carpet, and 
drench the curtains; and as to any disturbance of the arrange¬ 
ments of the vessel (should such happen), it is easily set right; 
and bear in mind that if the Actinese are in a healthy state, 
they grip so firm on them footholds, that no dash upon them 
will cause them to let go—rather indeed it makes them hold 
tighter—and presently exhibit all their pretty fingers and 
heads as bravely as if but just dredged up. 
Where a marine tank is used as an ornament to an elegant 
room, this sort of action must be pursued with a regard to 
the cleanliness of the apartment; and as a dangling fiower-pot, 
or funnel, adds nothing to the embellishments of a drawing¬ 
room, a quiet hour should be chosen early in the morning, to 
give the whole a filtering, and then the apparatus may be 
removed for the day. Let those who have been persevering 
for years, and always with a current of disappointments 
against them, adopt this plan, and the highest beauties of a 
marine collection will be easily realised, with none of the 
annoyances of frequent deaths. In a Warington tank the 
water may be dashed back on the sloping rockwork, to obviate 
any disturbance of the plants or the pebbles, but a stirring 
current does no harm to these—whatever is healthy will stand 
it; and if the Algse are getting out of order, the sooner their 
fronds are loosened and removed the better. Adding fresh 
water, as the specific-gravity bead indicates increase of density 
through evaporation, and a regular use of the drip glass on 
the agitating principle, and there need be no occasion to make 
even the most minute alteration for six months at least; for 
even the pebbled shore, which in a fortnight gets as black as 
ink, and as putrid as sulphurated hydrogen can make it in a 
vessel left to itself, will continue as bright and beautiful as 
when first laid down. 
Should a death at any time occur, remove the carcase im¬ 
mediately, and in the same way take out decayed fronds of Alga), 
and rub off with a feather the film that now and then collects 
around the Actinea). 
Above all, guard against over-stocking ; two or three Ane¬ 
mones to a gallon are as many as should be allowed, but, of 
course, no definite rule can be laid down, because of their 
varying sizes, and other circumstances. For the removal of 
objects in a deep vessel, a dipping-tube will be found useful, 
but the use of the dipping-tube is apt to lead to the idea that 
the least possible disturbance should be created; whereas a 
little disturbance is no harm at all, rather beneficial, as tend¬ 
ing to aerate the water, and by bringing into sight the debris 
that is always collecting at the bottom, tend to its removal, 
by means of the filter. It must be understood, however, that 
