Brothers of Pity and Other Tales of Beasts and Men Part 21

Still, as it stands, this Great Aquarium is wonderful--wonderful exceedingly. There is a still greater one at Brighton, holding greater wonders--a baby alligator amongst them--and we are very glad to hear that one is to be established in Manchester also.

It has been well said that a love of nature is a strong characteristic even of the roughest type of Britons. An Englishman's first idea of a holiday is to get into the country, even if his second is apt to be a search for the country beer-house.

Of birds, and beasts, and trees, and flowers, there is a good deal even of rustic lore. Of the wonders of the deep we know much less.

Thousands of us can sing with understanding,

O Lord, how manifold are thy works!

In wisdom hast thou made them all.

The earth is full of Thy riches.

Surely hereafter more of us shall swell the antiphon,

So is the great and wide sea also, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts.

NOTE.--A Great Aquarium (and something more) is being made at Naples by a young German naturalist--Dr. Dohrn, of Stettin--at an expense of between 7000 and 8000, nearly all of which comes out of his own pocket. The ground-floor of the building (an area of nearly eight thousand square feet) is to hold the Great Aquarium.

It is hoped that the money obtained by opening this to the public will both support the Aquarium itself, and do something towards defraying the expenses of the upper story of the Zoological Station, as it is called. This will contain a scientific library, including Dr. Dohrn's own valuable private collection, and tables for naturalists to work at, furnished with necessary appurtenances, including tanks supplied with a constant stream of sea-water.

Sea-fishing and dredging will be carried on in connection with the establishment, to supply subjects for study. Dr. Dohrn proposes to let certain of these tables to governments and scientific societies, who will then have the privilege of giving certificates, which will enable their naturalists to enjoy all the benefits of the inst.i.tution.

Surely some new acquaintances will be made among the sea-gentry in this paradise of naturalists!

TINY'S TRICKS AND TOBY'S TRICKS.

TINY.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Oh Toby, my dear old Toby, you portly and princely Pug!

"You know it's bad for you to lie in the fender:--Father says that's what makes you so fat--and I want you to come and sit with me on the Kurdistan rug.

"Put your lovely black nose in my lap, and I'll count your great velvet wrinkles, and comfort you with kisses.

"If you'll only keep out of the fender--Father says you'll have a fit if you don't!--and give good advice to your poor Little Missis.

"Father says you are the wisest creature he knows, and you are but eight years old, and three months ago I was six.

"And yet Mother says I'm the silliest little girl that she ever met with, because I am always picking up tricks.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"She does not know where I learnt to stand on one leg (unless it was from a goose), but it has made one of my shoulders stick out more than the other.

"It wasn't the goose who taught me to whistle up and down-stairs. I learnt that last holidays from my brother.

"The baker's man taught me to put my tongue in my cheek when I'm writing copies, for I saw him do it when he was receipting a bill.

"And I learnt to wrinkle my forehead, and squeeze up my eyes, and make faces with my lips by imitating the strange doctor who attended us when we were ill.

"It was Brother Jack himself who showed me that the way to squint is to look at both sides of your nose.

"And then, Toby--would you believe it?--he turned round last holidays and said--'Look here, Tiny, if the wind changes when you're making that face it'll stay there, and remember you can't squint properly and keep your eye on the weatherc.o.c.k at the same time to see how it blows.'

"But boys are so mean!--and I catch stammering from his school friend--'_Tut-tut-tut-tut-Tom_,' as we call him--but I soon leave it off when he goes.

"I did not learn stooping and poking out my chin from any one; it came of itself. It is so hard to sit up; but Mother says that much my worst trick

"Is biting my finger nails; and I've bitten them nearly all down to the quick.

"She says if I don't lose these tricks, and leave off learning fresh ones, I shall never grow up like our pretty great-great-grandmamma.

"Do you know her, dear Toby? I don't think you do. I don't think you ever look at pictures, intelligent as you are!

"It's the big portrait, by Romney, of a beautiful lady, sitting beautifully up, with her beautiful hands lying in her lap.

"Looking over her shoulder, out of lovely eyes, with a sweet smile on her lips, in the old brocade Mother keeps in the chest, and a pretty lace cap.

"I should very much like to be like her when I grow up to that age; Mother says she was twenty-six.

"And of course I know she would not have looked so nice in her picture if she'd squinted, and wrinkled her forehead, and had one shoulder out, and her tongue in her cheek, and a round back, and her chin poked, and her fingers all swollen with biting;--but, oh, Toby, you clever Pug! how am I to get rid of my tricks?

"That is, if I must give them up; but it seems so hard to get into disgrace

"For doing what comes natural to one, with one's own eyes, and legs, and fingers, and face."

TOBY.

"Remove your arms from my neck, Little Missis--I feel unusually apoplectic--and let me take two or three turns on the rug,

"Whilst I turn the matter over in my mind, for never was there so puzzled a Pug!

"I am, as your respected Father truly observes, a most talented creature.

"And as to fit subjects for family portraits and personal appearance--from the top of my ma.s.sive brow to the tip of my curly tail, I believe myself to be perfect in every feature.

"And when my ears are just joined over my forehead like a black velvet cap, I'm reckoned the living likeness of a late eminent divine and once popular preacher.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Did your great-great-grandmamma ever take a prize at a show? But let that pa.s.s--the real question is this: