Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/81

yield to persistent kind treatment, and become tame. Generally, too, they learn to have a sort of trustful affection for their keepers, who, however, to earn the confidence 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 a friend of mine, lived in an ordinary glass globe for three years. It was a very intelligent fish, but very spiteful and jealous. My friend's mother thought it was lonesome, and so, one day, she brought home a beautiful gold-fish—a little larger than the bass—to keep it company. She put the gold-fish in the globe, and watched the bass, expecting to see it wonderfully pleased; but the little wretch worked himself into a terrible passion, erected every spine upon his back, glared a moment at the intruder, and then made a dart forward, seized the gold-fish by the abdomen, and shook it as a terrier-dog shakes a rat, until the transparent water was glittering all over with a shower of golden scales. As soon as possible, the carp was rescued; but it was too late. He only gasped and died. The vicious little bass swam around and around his globe, biting in his rage at all the floating scales. Ever after, he was allowed to live a hermit's life, and he behaved himself well. 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.

It might be well to state, before finishing this article, that common putty, after being exposed to the action of water, is very apt to soften and crumble away, or drop off in large flakes. Painting it will not prevent this. In New York, and I suppose other large cities, the aquarium-stores keep a substance which they call aquarium cement. It looks like red putty, but I have. found that it withstands the action of water admirably. For