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AQUARIAN ANIMALS.

175

CHAPTER XI.

MAMMALIA, REPTILIA, AND FISHES OF PUBLIC MARINE AQUARIA.

THE enormous size of the largest tanks belonging to our public aquaria, and the manner in which the mechanism of aeration and circulation of the water has been perfected, have rendered it possible to exhibit living animals of all kinds whose lives are passed amid aquatic conditions. Hence, such lung-breathing animals as porpoises, grampuses, seals, sea-lions, alligators, crocodiles, and turtles, may be now maintained for a time, with almost as much ease as objects of a smaller size. The chief difficulty seems to be, not merely in maintaining these huge creatures in a healthy condition, but in capturing and transferring them uninjured to the tanks. As has already been stated, it is usual to keep the captured animals in places appointed for the purpose, until they are more or less acclimatised, before they are turned out for public exhibition. This transitional stage seems to be necessary in the cases of most animals. Within the next few years our public aquaria will be enriched with many other species of huge fresh-water and marine. animals, for one of the tanks at Brighton is almost

hydrometer, however, is much easier to use, and is altogether better.

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Undoubtedly one of the charms of marine aquaria

consists in the personal collection of the objects.

SELF-ACTING AIR-CAN.

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Most people have now their annual seaside “run,” and it is a poor place indeed if it have no rockpools and no marine animals and plants there to be captured, stowed away, and brought home as souvenirs of pleasant summer rambles. We have known a good many instances, however, in which the animals thus collected have been lost for want of a proper means of keeping them until they could be transferred to the tank; and we therefore give the accompanying sketch of Mr. A. J. R. Sclater's "selfacting air-can," as one of the best contrivances we have hitherto seen for keeping aquatic objects, whether marine or fresh water. The following is the explanation of its structure:

A is the cover of the can; B the socket to fit the cover; C the body of the can; D D plate with perforated raised zinc, showing the water forcing itself into the chamber F, and then going back into the can again; g the top of the cover, which rests on line h, sinking down one inch below upper rim, so that water forcing its way through the upper cover plate also goes back into the can again through the holes, as marked in cover on the under drawing ii; j shows the hollow, and how it is fastened to the left side by a leathern strap k k passing over the head to right shoulder. It can thus be worn when riding or walking. LL is the cover of the can closed down into the socket; m m tin loops to pass the leathern strap through; n n pillars to hold the under plate of cover;

the plate not to go below o. Of course it is always best to transfer any captured aquatic objects to their new habitats as quickly as possible. Keeping them in unnatural conditions is cruel, and no true naturalist will inflict pain on the humblest creature if he can possibly avoid it.

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FIRST PUBLIC AQUARIA.

CHAPTER X.

OUR PUBLIC AQUARIA.

There can be little

THE establishment of large public aquaria in English cities and towns is the best evidence we could desire of the progress of zoology. doubt that these important institutions will react favourably on scientific education by familiarising people with objects they were previously only acquainted with in books, and also by stimulating young minds to their further study. Their value to natural history cannot be overstated, for they afford means of observation which never existed before, both to study. the habits and the embryological development of marine animals.

To Mr. W. A. Lloyd belongs the merit of successfully carrying out the idea of large public aquaria to their present issue. No other naturalist has enjoyed such a long and specialised experience in their construction and management, either at home or abroad. The continued success of the Crystal Palace Aquarium -which may be called the first public one of any magnitude, those at the London and Dublin Zoological Gardens and elsewhere being on a much smaller scale-undoubtedly encouraged the construction of

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