Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-23
Pond Bass ns Pefs.

In profusely illustrated article on "How to Stock and Keep Fresh water Aquarium :" printed in the July St. Nicholas Mir. D. c. Beard says: Pond bass make very intelligent pets. I once had three hundred of these lit tie fellows, perfectly tame. Down in one corner of the corn field found two patent
 washing machines, the beds of which were shaped liked scow-boats. These old machines were fast going to ruin, and I readily gained
 permission to use them for whatever purpose
 I wished; so, with hatchet, I knocked off
 the legs and top-gear then removed d side
 from each box, and fastened the two togeth-
 ct, making tank about four feet square.
 The seam, or crack, where the two parts
 joined, was filed with oakum, and the whole
 outside was thickly daubed with coal-tar. The
 tank was then set in hole dug for that pun:
 pose, and the dirt was filled in and packed
 around the sides. Back of it I piled rocks,
 and planted ferns in all the cracks and cran-
 nies. I also put rocks in the center of the
 tank, first covering the bottom with sand
 and gravel. After filling this with water and
 plants, put in three hundred little bass, and they soon became so tame that they would follow my finger all around, or would jump out of the water for a bit of meat held be-
 tween the fingers. Almost any wild creatures will yield to persistent kind treatment, and become tame. Generally, too, they learn to have sort of trustful affection for their
 keepers, who however, to earn the con6- dence of such friends, should be almost as wise, punctual and unfailing as good Dame Nature herself.
 One of the same bass, which I gave to friend of mine lived in an ordinary glass globe for three years. He was very intelli- gent fish, but fearIully spiteful and jealous. My friends mother thought it was lonesome. and so, one day, she brought home beauti- full gold-fish-a little larger than the bass to keep it company. She put the goldfish in the globe and watched the little bass ex- pecting to see it wonderfully pleased but the little wretch worked himself into terrible passion-ereeted every spine upon his back, i glared moment at the intruder, and then made a dart forward, seized the goldfish by the abdomen, and shook it as Sa terrier dog shakes rat, until the transparent water was glittering all over with a shower of go den scales. As soon as possible, the carp was rescued but it too late. He only gasp ed, and died The vicious little bass swan around and around his globe, biting in his rage at all the floating scales. Ever after, he was allowed to live hermits life and he be- haved himself we'll At last the family went away for a couple of weeks, and, when they returned, the poor little bass lay dead at the | bottom of his globe
 One more incident, and I must close. A certain young enthusiast in aquarium mat ters, waking suddenly one night, beheld the | apparition shown on page 697. At one side of the room in wavering circle of light, gaping monster was about to make one mouth ! ful of wrigging creature as large as cat. | The cause of this strange vision soon ap- | peared The curtain ofsthe window had not | been drawn down all the way, and a street | lamp, shining in, made sort of combined | magic lantern lens and slide of glass globe, | in which some aquarium pets were quarrel | ing. But the ''wriggler' escaped somehow, | and no harm was done.