Page:The aquarium - an unveiling of the wonders of the deep sea.djvu/32

Rh air, with the quantity of vegetable matter required, as compared with the size and rank in creation of the animal, would be a problem well worthy of solution."

In the same year (1842) Dr. Johnston published his "History of British Sponges and Lithophytes," in which, arguing out the vegetability of the latter, he mentioned in a note what is the most germane of all to our purpose,—the actual formation of a little Marine Aquarium. To Dr. Johnston therefore, as I think, must be assigned the honour of the first accomplishment of this object. His words are as follows:—

"Was there a need of adding any additional proof of the vegetability of the Corallines, an experiment now before me would seem to supply it. It is now eight weeks ago since I placed in a small glass jar, containing about six ounces of pure sea-water a tuft of the living Corallina officinalis, to which were attached two or three minute Confervæ, and the very young frond of a green Ulva; while numerous Rissoæ, several little Mussels and Annelides, and a Star-fish were crawling amid the branches. The jar was placed on a table, and was seldom disturbed, though occasionally looked at; and at the end of four weeks, the water was found to be still pure, the Mollusca and other animals all alive and active, the confervæ had grown perceptibly, and the coralline itself had thrown out some new shoots, and several additional articulations. Eight weeks have now elapsed since the experiment was begun,—the water has remained