will do; but a better defence is a plate of glass; raised on wire
some half…inch above the edge; so as to admit the air。 I am not
sure that a sheet of brown paper laid over the vase is not the best
of all; because that; by its shade; also guards against the next
evil; which is heat。 Against that you must guard by putting a
curtain of muslin or oiled paper between the vase and the sun; if
it be very fierce; or simply (for simple expedients are best) by
laying a handkerchief over it till the heat is past。 But if you
leave your vase in a sunny window long enough to let the water get
tepid; all is over with your pets。 Half an hour's boiling may
frustrate the care of weeks。 And yet; on the other hand; light you
must have; and you can hardly have too much。 Some animals
certainly prefer shade; and hide in the darkest crannies; and for
them; if your aquarium is large enough; you must provide shade; by
arranging the bits of stone into piles and caverns。 But without
light; your sea…weeds will neither thrive nor keep the water sweet。
With plenty of light you will see; to quote Mr。 Gosse once more;
(33) 〃thousands of tiny globules forming on every plant; and even
all over the stones; where the infant vegetation is beginning to
grow; and these globules presently rise in rapid succession to the
surface all over the vessel; and this process goes on
uninterruptedly as long as the rays of the sun are uninterrupted。
〃Now these globules consist of PURE OXYGEN; given out by the plants
under the stimulus of light; and to this oxygen the animals in the
tank owe their life。 The difference between the profusion of
oxygen…bubbles produced on a sunny day; and the paucity of those
seen on a dark cloudy day; or in a northern aspect; is very
marked。〃 Choose; therefore; a south or east window; but draw down
the blind; or throw a handkerchief over all if the heat become
fierce。 The water should always feel cold to your hand; let the
temperature outside be what it may。
Next; you must make up for evaporation by FRESH water (a very
little will suffice); as often as in summer you find the water in
your vase sink below its original level; and prevent the water from
getting too salt。 For the salts; remember; do not evaporate with
the water; and if you left the vase in the sun for a few weeks; it
would become a mere brine…pan。
But how will you move your treasures up to town?
The simplest plan which I have found successful is an earthen jar。
You may buy them with a cover which screws on with two iron clasps。
If you do not find such; a piece of oilskin tied over the mouth is
enough。 But do not fill the jar full of water; leave about a
quarter of the contents in empty air; which the water may absorb;
and so keep itself fresh。 And any pieces of stone; or oysters;
which you send up; hang by a string from the mouth; that they may
not hurt tender animals by rolling about the bottom。 With these
simple precautions; anything which you are likely to find will well
endure forty…eight hours of travel。
What if the water fails; after all?
Then Mr。 Gosse's artificial sea…water will form a perfect
substitute。 You may buy the requisite salts (for there are more
salts than 〃salt〃 in sea…water) from any chemist to whom Mr。 Gosse
has entrusted his discovery; and; according to his directions; make
sea…water for yourself
One more hint before we part。 If; after all; you are not going
down to the sea…side this year; and have no opportunities of
testing 〃the wonders of the shore;〃 you may still study Natural
History in your own drawing…room; by looking a little into 〃the
wonders of the pond。〃
I am not jesting; a fresh…water aquarium; though by no means as
beautiful as a salt…water one; is even more easily established。 A
glass jar; floored with two or three inches of pond…mud (which
should be covered with fine gravel to prevent the mud washing up);
a specimen of each of two water…plants which you may buy now at any
good shop in Covent Garden; Vallisneria spiralis (which is said to
give to the Canvas…backed duck of America its peculiar richness of
flavour); and Anacharis alsinastrum; that magical weed which;
lately introduced from Canada among timber; has multiplied; self…
sown; to so prodigious an extent; that it bid fair; a few years
since; to choke the navigation not only of our canals and fen…
rivers; but of the Thames itself: (34) or; in default of these;
some of the more delicate pond…weeds; such as Callitriche;
Potamogeton pusillum; and; best of all; perhaps; the beautiful
Water…Milfoil (Myriophyllium); whose comb…like leaves are the
haunts of numberless rare and curious animalcules:… these (in
themselves; from the transparency of their circulation; interesting
microscopic objects) for oxygen…breeding vegetables; and for
animals; the pickings of any pond; a minnow or two; an eft; a few
of the delicate pond…snails (unless they devour your plants too
rapidly): water…beetles; of activity inconceivable; and that
wondrous bug the Notonecta; who lies on his back all day; rowing
about his boat…shaped body; with one long pair of oars; in search
of animalcules; and the moment the lights are out; turns head over
heels; rights himself; and opening a pair of handsome wings; starts
to fly about the dark room in company with his friend the water…
beetle; and (I suspect) catch flies; and then slips back demurely
into the water with the first streak of dawn。 But perhaps the most
interesting of all the tribes of the Naiads; … (in default; of
course; of those semi…human nymphs with which our Teutonic
forefathers; like the Greeks; peopled each 〃sacred fountain;〃) …
are the little 〃water…crickets;〃 which may be found running under
the pebbles; or burrowing in little galleries in the banks: and
those 〃caddises;〃 which crawl on the bottom in the stiller waters;
enclosed; all save the head and legs; in a tube of sand or pebbles;
shells or sticks; green or dead weeds; often arranged with quaint
symmetry; or of very graceful shape。 Their aspect in this state
may be somewhat uninviting; but they compensate for their youthful
ugliness by the strangeness of their transformations; and often by
the delicate beauty of the perfect insects; as the 〃caddises;〃
rising to the surface; become flying Phryganeae (caperers and sand…
flies); generally of various shades of fawn…colour; and the water…
crickets (though an unscientific eye may be able to discern but
little difference in them in the 〃larva;〃 or imperfect state)
change into flies of the most various shapes; … one; perhaps; into
the great sluggish olive 〃Stone…fly〃 (Perla bicaudata); another
into the delicate lemon…coloured 〃Yellow Sally〃 (Chrysoperla
viridis); another into the dark chocolate 〃Alder〃 (Sialis lutaria):
and the majority into duns and drakes (Ephemerae); whose grace of
form; and delicacy of colour; give them a right to rank among the
most exquisite of God's creations; from the tiny 〃Spinners〃 (Ba塼is
or Chloron) of incandescent glass; with gorgeous rainbow…coloured
eyes; to the great Green Drake (Ephemera vulgata); known to all
fishermen as the prince of trout…flies。 These animals; their
habits; their miraculous transformations; might give many an hour's
quiet amusement to an invalid; laid on a sofa; or imprisoned in a
sick…room; and debarred from reading; unless by some such means;
any page of that great green book outside; whose pen is the finger
of God; whose covers are the fire kingdoms and the star kingdoms;
and its leaves the heather…bells; and the polypes of the sea; and
the gnats above the summer stream。
I said just now; that happy was the sportsman who was also a
naturalist。 And; having once mentioned these curious water…flies;
I cannot help going a little farther; and saying; that lucky is the
fisherman who is also a naturalist。 A fair scientific knowledge of
the flies which he imitates; and of their habits; would often
ensure him sport; while other men are going home with empty creels。
One would have fancied this a self…evident fact; yet I have never
found any sound knowledge of the natural water…flies which haunt a
given stream; except among cunning old fishermen of the lower
class; who get their living by the gentle art; and bring to indoors
baskets of trout killed on flies; which look as if they had been
tied with a pair of tongs; so rough and ungainly are they; but
which; nevertheless; kill; simply because they are (in COLOUR;
which is all that fish really care for) exact likenesses of some
obscure local species; which happen to be on the water at the time。
Among gentlemen…fishermen; on the other hand; so deep is the
ignorance of the natural fly; that I have known good sportsmen
still under the delusion that the great green May…fly comes out of
a caddis…bait; the gentlemen having never seen; much less fished
with; that most deadly bait the 〃Water…cricket;〃 or free creeping
larva of the May…fly; which may be found in May under the river…
banks。 The consequence of this ignorance is that they depend for
good patterns of flies on mere chance and experiment; and that the
shop patterns; originally excellent; deteriorate continually; till
little or no likeness to their living prototype remains; being tied
by town girls; who have no more understanding of what the feathers
and mohair in their hands represent than they have of what the
National Debt represents。 Hence follows many a failure at the
stream…side; because the 〃Caperer;〃 or 〃Dun;〃 or 〃Yellow Sally;〃
which is produced from the fly…book; though; possibly; like the
brood which came out three years since on some stream a hundred
miles away; is quite unlike the brood which is out to…day on one's
own river。 For not only do most of these flies vary in colo
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