rs. The swamps and slow streams
afford great numbers of plants. If you know the plants get pond weeds,
Canadian water weed, ludwigia, willow moss, or tape grass. (Look in
the dictionary for official names of the plants or get special books
from the library.) Take some tape grass (vallisneria) to your teacher
or doctor and ask him to show you under his microscope how the sap
flows and the green coloring matter is deposited. The simplest form of
vegetation is algae which grows on the sides of the tank. Lest this
grow too thick, put in a few snails. Watch the snails' eggs develop in
clusters. Buy if you cannot find banded swamp snails that give birth
to their young instead of laying eggs.

Any pond or stream will furnish fish that are beautiful or interesting
to watch, e.g., killies, sunfish, cat-fish, carp, shiners, blacknosed
dace, minnows--the mud minnow that seems to stand on his
tail--darters, etc. If you get your supply from dealers, buy gold
fish, of which there are several varieties, fan-tailed, comets, fringe
tails and telescope eyed. Mirror carp are lively. Paradise fish are as
beautiful as butterflies.

[Illustration: A balanced aquarium]

Fish Nests

Every one knows something of birds' nests. Did you ever watch
sticklebacks build their barrel-like nest, or the Paradise fish his
floating nest, and the father fish take all the care of the young? Did
you ever see the newt roll her eggs in small leaves, or the caddis fly
make a case of bits of stick, leaves, and sand? For a real marvel
watch a pair of diving spiders weave their balloon-like nest under
water and actually carry air down to fill it, so that the young may be
dry though submerged.

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Put in a few fresh-water clams and insects in variety, water boatmen,
diving spiders, and whirligigs. A tank of beetles will be full of
interest. Always add two or three tadpoles as scavengers, and watch
their legs grow out as the tail grows short and they become frogs. You
can find or buy a variety of turtles which will soon be tame and eat
from your fingers. Do not keep turtles with fish.

On every hike or tramp carry a wide-mouthed bottle for specimens and a
piece of rubber cloth in which to bring home water plants. Fish can be
carried wrapped in damp moss for hours and will be found well and
lively when put in the aquarium.

Fish Food

Fish require very little food other than the minute creatures that
develop in the water.

The dealers supply