The treasury of natural history, or, A popular dictionary of zoology / by Samuel Maunder.

  • Maunder, Samuel, 1785-1849.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treasury of natural history, or, A popular dictionary of zoology / by Samuel Maunder. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    784/856 (page 762)
    1 used, it must be allowed to remain in water j for ut least u month, before animal* are in- | traduced, in order that the free lime may soak out. this lime being very injurious to animal life. ; The bottom of the Aquarium must be covered with gravel and sand, not only from its pleasant look, but that the burrowing 'animals may have a Held lor their labours ; the yellow earthy sand must be avoided, as it tinges the water with ochre. The sea-water must be got from the clear open sea, out of the reach of rivers, and the 1 cask to contain it should be either new, or at least nothing deleterious to animal life should have been held in it previously, such as spirits, wine, chemicals, or acids. A cask made of fir is preferable : the casks in which wine is kept are generally made of oak, the tannin and gallic acid of which, by their ( astringency, turn the animal integuments into leather ; if nothing but an oak cask can be obtained, it should be well seasoned for two or three weeks before it is used, by filling it with water, which should be changed every day. If only a small quantity of water be required, stone-ware jars are best. Mr. Gosse finds that the best plants for a marine Aquarium are sea-weeds ol the red and preen orders, lie particularly specifies the Phyllophora rtilens, the various species of the elepant genus GrlffUlisia, and the no less beautiful Jiryopsis. The Ulna latimma,a sea-weed easily procured on every shore, he finds particularly adapted for the purpose. Care should be taken in seeing that the pieces of rock to which the plants arc at- tached should be ns clean as possible : any adhering sponges should be carefully scraped off, as they are sure to die, and the sulphu- retted hydrogen, which they then emit, corrupts the water and turns everything black. . .. . If the plants assume an orange hue, it is a sure sign that they are not in a healthy state; they must be tuken up, and the diseused parts cut nwaj*. Any of the ani- mals which die should also be as soon as possible taken out. It is necessary occasionally, too, that tne water should be artificially aerated. The simplest way is by pouring the water from a little height, so that the particles of water may imbibe air and pet rid of some of “ the animal excretions which they hold in sus- pension. which thus become chemically changed and deprived of their putrescent (.utilities. This is wlint takes place in nature. By the perpetual dashing of the waves against the shore, and especially neninst the rugged rocks, on immense quan- tity of air becomes entangled in the form of minute bubbles, which by the various cur- rents are diffused through tile sen, and even carried to considerable depths, before they rise to tile surface and become dissipated. Thus the violent agitation of the sen is a powerf ul agent in its purification. One of the simplest modes by which this object can be effected is the drip-glass. I have been ac- customed to suspend over the Aquarium a perforated bell-class ol suitable size, into the orifice ol which a bit of sponge may be pushed, or a cork drilled with small bole*, l'lie cord which su«|«uds the drip-glnas |i passes over a pulley at the top of the window, i *o us to be raised or lowered at pleasure. Every mornin* sufficient waterfrom the lank is drawn or clipped off to fill the drip-gla**. which i* then hoisted to it* full height. The i content* run out in Blender stream*, or in j a rapid succession of drop*, which. pas»ing through some four or five feet of air before • they reach the tank,b-eome effectually puri- fied. (Gobsk’s Aquarium p. 2.'2.) As a great deal of water daily evaporates, and as only the pure water rises in vapour, it is neces»ary every now and then to add pure fres-h water, to replace what is lost. A glass cover, however, greatly prevent* lots from evaporation. By meuns of the Aquarium, the singular habits of many water animal* may be studied. Some naturalists bad invented *m apparatus, by which they could go down into the sea. and attempt to notice the ways of the curious creatures which there take up their abode. We never, however, beard of any , practical results arising from this awkward and dangerous as wi II as difficult mode of observation. The vi-itors to the Zoological Gardens, whether scientific or not, cannot fail to be struck with the l«eautiei of the numerous Actinia which there display their charms like so many opening flowers. The hermit crabs crawl about and vibrate their singular pedicelleil eyes, and beautifully jointed antenna and feelers. Shrimps and curious fish swim about, quite apparently at borne, and feed among the gracefully droop- ing sea-weeds, which hung in tufts from the , rocks. Even dead shells are covered with innumerable living beings, which open and shut their wonderful ciliary processes, os they take their microscopical food. Unless a person lived on the sea-shore, or had good correspondents there, it would be difficult, utid expensive besides, to keep a marine Aquarium: but any one with n simple glass dish, and a few fresh-water fishes and plant*, may keep, nnd with a little care keep long and in health, a most pleasing fresh-water Aquarium, the objects in which would afford a constant soun-e of amusement. To the work from which we have quoted, we refer the reader who desires to form an Aquarium, or to see the valuable and interesting re- searches which may be made by one who possesses a well-stocked tank, even when for removed from the soundiug sea. ARCHEGOS AURUS. [See Atateo*, above.] ASTERACANTIIIOX. a genus of Star- fishes, several sjiecies of which are tolerably abundant on our own shores, but they are generally described under the better-known generic title of Urastcr. Tne development of the young has been especially investi- gated by Sats nnd Muller : and still more recently b\ Prof. Wyviile Thomson, who has published a lengthened pnj«cr on this subject in the first volume of the new senes of the London Journal of Microscopical Science. ASTEROLEPIS. A genus of Ganoid