第39章

Put your weeds into your tank， and settle them at the bottom； which last， some say， should be covered with a layer of pebbles： but let the beginner leave it as bare as possible； for the pebbles only tempt cross- grained annelids to crawl under them， die， and spoil all by decaying： whereas if the bottom of the vase is bare， you can see a sickly or dead inhabitant at once， and take him out (which you must do) instantly. Let your weeds stand quietly in the vase a day or two before you put in anylive animals； and even then， do not put any in if the water does not appear perfectly clear： but lift out the weeds， and renew the water ere you replace them.

This is Mr. Gosse's method. But Mr. Lloyd， in his "Handbook to the Crystal Palace Aquarium，" advises that no weed should be put into the tank. "It is better，" he says， "to depend only on those which gradually and naturally appear on the rocks of the aquarium by the action of light， and which answer every chemical purpose." I should advise anyone intending to set up an aquarium， however small， to study what Mr. Lloyd says on this matter in pp. 17-19， and also in page 30， of his pamphlet； and also to go to the Crystal Palace Aquarium， and there see for himself the many beautiful species of sea-weeds which have appeared spontaneously in the tanks from unsuspected spores floating in the sea- water. On the other hand， Mr. Lloyd lays much stress on the necessityof a 塺 ating the water， by keeping it in perpetual motion； a process noteasy to be carried out in small aquaria； at least to that perfection which has been attained at the Crystal Palace， where the water is kept in continual circulation by steam-power. For a jar-aquarium， it will be enough to drive fresh air through the water every day， by means of a syringe.

Now for the live stock. In the crannies of every rock you will find sea-anemones (Actiniae)； and a dozen of these only will be enough to convert your little vase into the most brilliant of living flower-gardens. There they hang upon the under side of the ledges， apparently mere rounded lumps of jelly： one is of dark purple dotted with green； another of a rich chocolate； another of a delicate olive； another sienna- yellow； another all but white. Take them from their rock； you can do it easily by slipping under them your finger-nail， or the edge of a pewter spoon. Take care to tear the sucking base as little as possible (though a small rent they will darn for themselves in a few days， easily enough， and drop them into a basket of wet sea-weed； when you get home turn them into a dish full of water and leave them for the night， and go to look at them to-morrow. What a change！ The dull lumps of jelly have taken root and flowered during the night， and your dish is filledfrom side to side with a bouquet of chrysanthemums； each has expanded into a hundred-petalled flower， crimson， pink， purple， or orange； touch one， and it shrinks together like a sensitive plant， displaying at the root of the petals a ring of brilliant turquoise beads. That is the commonest of all the Actiniae (Mesembryanthemum)； you may have him when and where you will： but if you will search those rocks somewhat closer， you will find even more gorgeous species than him. See in that pool some dozen large ones， in full bloom， and quite six inches across， some of them. If their cousins whom we found just now were like Chrysanthemums， these are like quilled Dahlias. Their arms are stouter and shorter in proportion than those of the last species， but their colour is equally brilliant. One is a brilliant blood-red； another a delicate sea- blue striped with pink； but most have the disc and the innumerable arms striped and ringed with various shades of grey and brown. Shall we get them？ By all means if we can. Touch one. Where is he now？ Gone？ Vanished into air， or into stone？ Not quite. You see that knot of sand and broken shell lying on the rock， where your Dahlia was one moment ago. Touch it， and you will find it leathery and elastic.That is all which remains of the live Dahlia. Never mind； get your finger into the crack under him， work him gently but firmly out， and take him home， and he will beas happy and as gorgeous as ever to-morrow.

Let your Actiniae stand for a day or two in the dish， and then， picking out the liveliest and handsomest， detach them once more from their hold， drop them into your vase， right them with a bit of stick， so that the sucking base is downwards， and leave them to themselves thenceforth.

These two species (Mesembryanthemum and Crassicornis) are quite beautiful enough to give a beginner amusement： but there are two others which are not uncommon， and of such exceeding loveliness， that it is worth while to take a little trouble to get them. The one is Dianthus， which I have already mentioned； the other Bellis， the sea- daisy， of which there is an excellent description and plates in Mr. Gosse's "Rambles in Devon，" pp. 24 to 32.

It is common at Ilfracombe， and at Torquay； and indeed everywherewhere there are cracks and small holes in limestone or slate rock. In these holes it fixes its base， and expands its delicate brown- grey star-like flowers on the surface： but it must be chipped out with hammer and chisel， at the expense of much dirt and patience； for the moment it is touched it contracts deep into the rock， and all that is left of the daisy flower， some two or three inches across， is a blue knot of half the size of a marble. But it will expand again， after a day or two of captivity， and will repay all the trouble which it has cost. Troglodytes may be found， as I have said already， in hundreds at Hastings， in similar situations to that of Bellis； its only token， when the tide is down， being a round dimple in the muddy sand which firs the lower cracks of rocks.