（so　minute　these　last；　that　their　motion　only　betrays　their
  presence）；　each　tiniest　atom　of　decaying　matter　in　the　surrounding
  water；　to　convert　it；　by　some　wondrous　alchemy；　into　fresh　cells
  and　buds；　and　either　build　up　a　fresh　branch　in　their　thousand…
  tenanted　tree；　or　form　an　egg…cell；　from　whence　when　ripe　may
  issue；　not　a　fixed　zoophyte；　but　a　free　swimming　animal。
  And　in　the　meanwhile；　among　this　animal　forest　grows　a　vegetable
  one　of　delicatest　sea…weeds；　green　and　brown　and　crimson；　whose
  office　is；　by　their　everlasting　breath；　to　reoxygenate　the　impure
  water；　and　render　it　fit　once　more　to　be　breathed　by　the　higher
  animals　who　swim　or　creep　around。
  Mystery　of　mysteries！　　Let　us　jest　no　more；　…　Heaven　forgive　us　if
  we　have　jested　too　much　on　so　simple　a　matter　as　that　poor　spider…
  crab；　taken　out　of　the　lobster…pots；　and　left　to　die　at　the　bottom
  of　the　boat；　because　his　more　aristocratic　cousins　of　the　blue　and
  purple　armour　will　not　enter　the　trap　while　he　is　within。
  I　am　not　aware　whether　the　surmise；　that　these　tiny　zoophytes　help
  to　purify　the　water　by　exhaling　oxygen　gas；　has　yet　been　verified。
  The　infusorial　animalcules　do　so；　reversing　the　functions　of　animal
  life；　and　instead　of　evolving　carbonic　acid　gas；　as　other　animals
  do；　evolve　pure　oxygen。　　So；　at　least；　says　Liebig；　who　states　that
  he　found　a　small　piece　of　matchwood；　just　extinguished；　burst　out
  again　into　a　flame　on　being　immersed　in　the　bubbles　given　out　by
  these　living　atomies。
  I　myself　should　be　inclined　to　doubt　that　this　is　the　case　with
  zoophytes；　having　found　water　in　which　they　were　growing　（unless；
  of　course；　sea…weeds　were　present）　to　be　peculiarly　ready　to　become
  foul；　but　it　is　difficult　to　say　whether　this　is　owing　to　their
  deoxygenating　the　water　while　alive；　like　other　animals；　or　to　the
  fact　that　it　is　very　rare　to　get　a　specimen　of　zoophyte　in　which　a
  large　number　of　the　polypes　have　not　been　killed　in　the　transit
  home；　or　at　least　so　far　knocked　about；　that　（in　the　Anthozoa；
  which　are　far　the　most　abundant）　the　polype　…　or　rather　living
  mouth；　for　it　is　little　more　…　is　thrown　off　to　decay；　pending　the
  growth　of　a　fresh　one　in　the　same　cell。
  But　all　the　sea…weeds；　in　common　with　other　vegetables；　perform
  this　function　continually；　and　thus　maintain　the　water　in　which
  they　grow　in　a　state　fit　to　support　animal　life。
  This　fact　…　first　advanced　by　Priestley　and　Ingenhousz；　and　though
  doubted　by　the　great　Ellis；　satisfactorily　ascertained　by　Professor
  Daubeny；　Mr。　Ward；　Dr。　Johnston；　and　Mr。　Warrington　…　gives　an
  answer　to　the　question；　which　I　hope　has　ere　now　arisen　in　the
  minds　of　some　of　my　readers；　…
  How　is　it　possible　to　see　these　wonders　at　home？　　Beautiful　and
  instructive　as　they　may　be；　can　they　be　meant　for　any　but　dwellers
  by　the　sea…side？　　Nay　more；　even　to　them；　must　not　the　glories　of
  the　water…world　be　always　more　momentary　than　those　of　the　rainbow；
  a　mere　Fata　Morgana　which　breaks　up　and　vanishes　before　the　eyes？
  If　there　were　but　some　method　of　making　a　miniature　sea…world　for　a
  few　days；　much　more　of　keeping　one　with　us　when　far　inland。　…
  This　desideratum　has　at　last　been　filled　up；　and　science　has　shown；
  as　usual；　that　by　simply　obeying　Nature；　we　may　conquer　her；　even
  so　far　as　to　have　our　miniature　sea；　of　artificial　salt…water；
  filled　with　living　plants　and　sea…weeds；　maintaining　each　other　in
  perfect　health；　and　each　following；　as　far　as　is　possible　in　a
  confined　space；　its　natural　habits。
  To　Dr。　Johnston　is　due；　as　far　as　is　known；　the　honour　of　the　first
  accomplishment　of　this　as　of　a　hundred　other　zoological　triumphs。
  As　early　as　1842；　he　proved　to　himself　the　vegetable　nature　of　the
  common　pink　Coralline；　which　fringes　every　rock…pool；　by　keeping　it
  for　eight　weeks　in　unchanged　salt…water；　without　any　putrefaction
  ensuing。　　The　ground；　of　course；　on　which　the　proof　rested　in　this
  case　was；　that　if　the　coralline　were；　as　had　often　been　thought；　a
  zoophyte；　the　water　would　become　corrupt；　and　poisonous　to　the　life
  of　the　small　animals　in　the　same　jar；　and　that　its　remaining　fresh
  argued　that　the　coralline　had　re…oxygenated　it　from　time　to　time；
  and　was　therefore　a　vegetable。
  In　1850；　Mr。　Robert　Warrington　communicated　to　the　Chemical　Society
  the　results　of　a　year's　experiments；　〃On　the　Adjustment　of　the
  Relations　between　the　Animal　and　Vegetable　Kingdoms；　by　which　the
  Vital　Functions　of　both　are　permanently　maintained。〃　　The　law　which
  his　experiments　verified　was　the　same　as　that　on　which　Mr。　Ward；　in
  1842；　founded　his　invaluable　proposal　for　increasing　the　purity　of
  the　air　in　large　towns；　by　planting　trees　and　cultivating　flowers
  in　rooms；　THAT　THE　ANIMAL　AND　VEGETABLE　RESPIRATIONS　MIGHT
  COUNTERBALANCE　EACH　OTHER；　the　animal's　blood　being　purified　by　the
  oxygen　given　off　by　the　plants；　the　plants　fed　by　the　carbonic　acid
  breathed　out　by　the　animals。
  On　the　same　principle；　Mr。　Warrington　first　kept；　for　many　months；
  in　a　vase　of　unchanged　water；　two　small　gold　fish　and　a　plant　of
  Vallisneria　spiralis；　and　two　years　afterwards　began　a　similar
  experiment　with　sea…water；　weeds；　and　anemones；　which　were；　at
  last；　as　successful　as　the　former　ones。　　Mr。　Gosse　had；　in　the
  meanwhile；　with　tolerable　success　begun　a　similar　method；　unaware
  of　what　Mr。　Warrington　had　done；　and　now　the　beautiful　and　curious
  exhibition　of　fresh　and　salt　water　tanks　in　the　Zoological　Gardens
  in　London；　bids　fair　to　be　copied　in　every　similar　institution；　and
  we　hope　in　many　private　houses；　throughout　the　kingdom。
  To　this　subject　Mr。　Gosse's　book；　〃The　Aquarium；〃　is　principally
  devoted；　though　it　contains；　besides；　sketches　of　coast　scenery；　in
  his　usual　charming　style；　and　descriptions　of　rare　sea…animals；
  with　wise　and　goodly　reflections　thereon。　　One　great　object　of
  interest　in　the　book　is　the　last　chapter；　which　treats　fully　of　the
  making　and　stocking　these　salt…water　〃Aquaria；〃　and　the　various
  beautifully　coloured　plates；　which　are；　as　it　were；　sketches　from
  the　interior　of　tanks；　are　well　fitted　to　excite　the　desire　of　all
  readers　to　possess　such　gorgeous　living　pictures；　if　as　nothing
  else；　still　as　drawing…room　ornaments；　flower…gardens　which　never
  wither；　fairy　lakes　of　perpetual　calm　which　no　storm　blackens；　…
  ＇Greek　text　which　cannot　be　reproduced＇
  Those　who　have　never　seen　one　of　them　can　never　imagine　（and
  neither　Mr。　Gosse's　pencil　nor　my　clumsy　words　can　ever　describe　to
  them）　the　gorgeous　colouring　and　the　grace　and　delicacy　of　form
  which　these　subaqueous　landscapes　exhibit。
  As　for　colouring；　…　the　only　bit　of　colour　which　I　can　remember
  even　faintly　resembling　them　（for　though　Correggio's　Magdalene　may
  rival　them　in　greens　and　blues；　yet　even　he　has　no　such　crimsons
  and　purples）　is　the　Adoration　of　the　Shepherds；　by　that　〃prince　of
  colorists〃　…　Palma　Vecchio；　which　hangs　on　the　left…hand　side　of
  Lord　Ellesmere's　great　gallery。　　But　as　for　the　forms；　…　where
  shall　we　see　their　like？　　Where；　amid　miniature　forests　as
  fantastic　as　those　of　the　tropics；　animals　whose　shapes　outvie　the
  wildest　dreams　of　the　old　German　ghost　painters　which　cover　the
  walls　of　the　galleries　of　Brussels　or　Antwerp？　　And　yet　the
  uncouthest　has　some　quaint　beauty　of　its　own；　while　most　…　the
  star…fishes　and　anemones；　for　example　…　are　nothing　but　beauty。
  The　brilliant　plates　in　Mr。　Gosse's　〃Aquarium〃　give；　after　all；　but
  a　meagre　picture　of　the　reality；　as　it　may　be　seen　in　the　tank…
  house　at　the　Zoological　Gardens；　and　as　it　may　be　seen　also；　by
  anyone　who　will　follow　carefully　the　directions　given　at　the　end　of
  his　book；　stock　a　glass　vase　with　such　common　things　as　he　may　find
  in　an　hour's　search　at　low　tide；　and　so　have　an　opportunity　of
  seeing　how　truly　Mr。　Gosse　says；　in　his　valuable　preface；　that　…
  〃The　habits〃　（and　he　might　well　have　added；　the　marvellous　beauty）
  〃of　animals　will　never　be　thoroughly　known　till　they　are　observed
  in　detail。　　Nor　is　it　sufficient　to　mark　them　with　attention　now
  and　then；　they　must　be　closely　watched；　their　various　actions
  carefully　noted；　their　behaviour　under　different　circumstances；　and
  especially　those　movements　which　seem　to　us　mere　vagaries；
  undirected　by　any　suggestible　motive　or　cause；　well　examined。　　A
  rich　fruit　of　result；　often　new　and　curious　and　unexpected；　will；　I
  am　sure；　reward　anyone　who　studies　living　animals　in　this　way。　　The
  most　interesting　parts；　by　far；　of　published　Natural　History　are
  those　minute；　but　graphic　particulars；　which　have　been　gathered　up
  by　an　attentive　watching　of　individual　animals。〃
  Mr。　Gosse's　own　books；　certainly；　give　proof　enough　of　this。　　We
  need　only　direct　the　reader　to　his　exquisitely　humorous　account　of
  the　ways　and　works　of　a　captive　soldier…crab；　（31）　to　show　them　how
  much　there　i