Page:Sea and River-side Rambles in Victoria.djvu/66

47 that the ova were hatched in a pouch attached to the male, had long previously been known, the female transferring them to her Lord and Master who performs all the duties of incubation; here alone is an interesting process for the Aquarium keeper to watch. Allied to the Pipe-fish is the Sea Horse (Hippocampus) so called from its snout resembling the head of a horse; it is a great pet, as was instanced by the crowd of persons visiting the bathing-house when a specimen was exhibited there, and will well repay any additional care which the Naturalist may bestow on it. We give elsewhere a sketch of this singular fish, but it must be seen alive before any idea can be formed of its quaint way of poking its snout into all manner of crevices, and twisting its tail around any object which may present itself; pity that we cannot convey to our readers the beautiful rapid rotatory motion of the dorsal fin, not unaptly compared to the screw of a steamer. The Male Hippocampi like the Pipe fishes take an active part in the reproductive economy.

Let not our readers rashly venture into the water here, for the fish-stall of Mr. Baker, in Malop-street, has revealed to us that such things as Tiger and Ground Sharks of most uncomfortable dimensions are to be met with, still much may be gained by carefully turning over the rubbish washed up by the tide. Seaweeds are seldom met with, if we except the beautiful olive Sargassum, with its broad oak-shaped sinuate leaves, and the grape like brown clusters of the Hormosira Banksii, in all its several forms, so carefully figured by Professor Harvey in his History of the Seaweeds