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Almost anything made of glass can be utilized
for this purpose ; old jam or pickle jars,
disused accumulator jars, preserved tongue
and galantine jars, etc., even the humble
potted meat jars and pie dishes can be brought
into service.
The bottom of each vessel should have a
layer of gravel, and, where possible, an
oxygenating plant should be grown. In small
or shallow dishes frogbit and other floating
plants can be grown ; in fact, it is a good idea
to have a different type of plant in each
aquarette. These, with the different aquatic
creatures, make a collection that is educational
as well as interesting.
Apart from the molluscs and crustaceans
already mentioned there are a number of
aquatic insects whose life history can be studied
at close quarters. In the ordinary way these
insects and their larvae are most undesirable
in pool or aquarium ; they are too fond of
eating young fishes.
Of all the creatures suited to the small
aquarium none is as interesting as the Water
Spider (Argyroneta aquaticus). Specimens
can be purchased for ninepence or a shilling
each. My own specimens were obtained by
dredging a clump of water weed from a pond
and placing the tangled mass in a shallow dish
of water ; if any spiders were present they
soon made themselves known by their frantic
efforts to get out of the weeds.
The spider itself is dark brown to black in
colour and about one and a half inches across,
including the legs. The thorax has a bubble
of air around it giving the impression of a
cellophane waistcoat. Although living entirely in the water, Argyroneta breathes air.
To maintain a supply of this very necessary
item the spider constructs a dome-shaped nest,
using the roots and stems of plants for anchorages. Then it journeys to the surface and,
with its swimmerets and hind legs, entraps a
bubble of air which it conveys to the nest.
The bubble, when released, rises to the top
of the nest and the operation is continued
until it is literally one large bubble of air.
The spider retreats into this air chamber,
where it remains until the air is exhausted,
when the filling up operation is repeated.
The eggs are laid in this peculiar nest in
Autumn.
There are many other interesting creatures
that a sweep with a fine net, or a clump of
water weed, will reveal.
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