File:Popular history of the aquarium of marine and fresh-water animals and plants (1857) (14769684805).jpg

Identifier: popularhistoryof00sowe (find matches)
Title: Popular history of the aquarium of marine and fresh-water animals and plants
Year: 1857 (1850s)
Authors: Sowerby, George Brettingham, 1788-1854
Subjects: Aquariums Marine biology Freshwater biology
Publisher: London : Lovell Reeve
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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the surface, it turns withthe extremity of the abdomen upwards and exposes a portionof the body to the air for an instant; then with a jerk itsnatches, as it were, a bubble of air, which is not only at-tached to the hairs which cover the abdomen, but is held onby the two hinder legs, which are crossed at an acute anglenear the extremity; this crossing of legs takes place at theinstant the bubble is seized. The little creature then de-scends more rapidly, and regains the cell always by thesame route, turns the abdomen within it and disengages thebubble. No. 4. Several of them when I received them had thehair on the abdomen wetted, and I placed them on theblotting paper till they were dry. On returning themto the water, two remained underneath a floating pieceof cork, and the hair, being now dry, retained the pel-licle of air which is ordinarily observed. One of the twocame out of the water, attached the cork to the glass, andwove a web against the latter, against which it rested about
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i ^ i ^ WATER-INSECTS. 253 a quarter of an inch above the surface of the water.After remaining there about two days, it resumed its aquatichabits, and, Hke all the others, formed its winter habitation.I have now no fewer than ten which have formed theircells, in which they are perfectly at rest, and evidently hiber-nating. De Lignen, having placed too many Argyronetm togetherin one jar, some of them ate the others; the soHtary malefirst falling a sacrifice to the jealousy of the females. DeWalkenaer however observed a contrary circumstance; he-))laced in a goldfish-glass a large number of specimens,with a branch of coral. Having waited to see the femalemake her bell and attach it to the branch or coral, he nextnoticed a large strong male constructing his nest near hers.Being then obliged to leave them for a time, he was surprisedto find on his return, only that male and female with theiryoung left; the rest of the females having disappeared.They had made good meals for the family circ

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