The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-09-05
Aquarium Oddities.

- Ot NS
aquarium there contains these para
graphs: The diamond turtle, SO highly
priced by e~picures, is not nearly SO large
as the green turtle, but the flesh is much
more delicate, and the shell resembles a
handsome piece of mosaic. Two of the
most ornamental cases contain hundreds
of what are called the indigo fish. They
are of small size, but their scales reflect
and display all the colors of the rain
bow, and sparkle in the sunlight like SO
many Jewels. In fact, the most bril-
liant plumage of the tropical birds find
their counterpar in the prismatic rays
that emanate from the charming little
fish, no larger than the red fins that in
habit brooks and fresh water streams.
There is a general feeling of disap-
pointment on the part of those who for
the first time catch a glimpse of the
sea-horse. Naturally, we would imagine
it to be of gigantic proportions, instead
of which the living specimen is Of a
slight frame not weighing more than an
ounce the only part Of which bears a
resemblance to the horse is the perfect
shaped head and handsomely arched
neck and shoulders. Here all traces of
the horse disappear, and the remainder
of the body and tail are decidedly fshy.
The pilot-fsh, resembling in size an
ordinary sunfish, although unlike it in
color, is remarkable for the swiftness of
its movements and the extraordinary
celebrity with which it moves its fins and
darts through the water on the approach
| of strangers. No less curious are the
antics of the soft and hard-shelled crabs,
| the crooked lobster and the unique king
crab, whose habitation is the identical
shape of horses hoof and whose shell is
as hard and as durable as if it were
made of a sheet iron. The crab itself is
a wonderful piece of mechanism, con-
sisting of a double set of feeders and
crawlers, and a series of tongues which
overlap each other, like so many clans,
and between which it rakes its food and
nourishes its tangled body, while the
stif-tail attached to the circular shell
is supplied with a side formed like q
saw, and which must make a formable
weapon for defense.
The porcupine fish is an ugly customer
Light colored, with a smooth flesh
colored body dotted with d~ark-colored
spots. Two horns spring from its head
and its back is well supplied with quilts
The anemone is a wonderful curiosity
Its transparent fingers and the puffeo
body-which changes occasionally to s
bright scarlet hue-and its habit of con
tracing and expanding itself never fai
to elicit the admiration of strangers.
A live oyster reposes quietly anC
safely with its shell wide open inhaline
the salt breeze and the constant supply
of water pumped up from the ocean neal
by-separated only by a glass partition
from his deadly foe, the oyster fish
which lazily watches for an opportunit!
to seizehis prey. The oyster fish has
c~rustaceous shelled exterior, a broat
head, with wide gaping eyes, an ugl!
mouth supplied with sharp teeth; which
enable him to crack the shell and devou
the oyster without the slightest com
Function.
In the aquarium we were also show
a fine specimen of coral, the cells o
which were filled with diminutive in
sects or fish, from which the coral itse
derives its color and changes from
its natural white shade to red
green or brown as the attendant sway
before it a stick and causes the inhabi
tants of the tiny cells to emerge from o
to hide themselves in the recess of thei
; homes.
IF men go to heaven when they die
why don't the artists illustrate them, a
{ they do female angels? No one eve
sees a man angel in a picture, and it
giving men folks a cold shake. -Detro,
| Free Press. This is not a very goo
joke for the fact is that all the histol
ical angels, of revelation, poetry an
art, are masculine. There is not a sir
| gle exception. The angels of both tn
Old and New Testament, and the angeI
, of art from Polygnotus and Michat
. Angelo to Dore- nay, of the earlie'
= Egyptian and Phenician schools-wel
: all masculine. A feminine angel WIS
never painted or sung about, except b
. weak SWANS, who thus fatter the vanit
3 of maidens whom they wish to get
. do their cooking. Ono man-angel
9 a picture" forsooth! Why, they a
full of nothing else.-Graphic.
Miss ANNA DICKINSON announces
an interviewing l~etter-writer that she
in good health; that her comedy ar
tragedy are finished, and that she
d deep in melodrama. And now
!; critics be prepared, as they they ha'
!, | n -----i-. VT,I1 49, 1ar-a - -.ars