Funny, flat heads, bright eyes and "whiskers" had the seals, and they made the queer coughing sound Sunny Boy had heard. He privately didn't think they were very pretty, and he admired the great turtles in another tank much more.
"Let's go in back and see if we can touch the fish," he suggested to Dick, when they had seen all the open tanks on the floor. "I'd like to look out from behind there and see how it seems."
Dick was puzzled, but Alice understood right away.
"Those are all tanks, with just glass in front," she informed Sunny Boy.
The round walls of the fort were set with what looked like glass plates, behind which great lazy fish were idly swimming. It looked as though one could go in back of them and see through, and perhaps touch the fish in the water.
After they had seen all the fish in all the tanks downstairs, they went upstairs and looked at the fish and the corals and anemones and funny crabs living and growing in other glass tanks. The anemones looked like beautiful, vivid flowers, and Mrs. Horton and Mrs. Kennedy both exclaimed over their beauty.
"I like the crab that walks crooked best," announced Sunny Boy, and Dick and Paul agreed with him.
When they came out of the aquarium they walked about the picturesque old park a little, and then found a small place where they had lunch.
"What does Sunny Boy know about the statue we're going to see?" asked Mrs. Kennedy, as they stepped on board the boat that was to take them to the Statue of Liberty that afternoon. "My children have been so often that it is an old story to them."
"I know," cried Sunny Boy eagerly. "Donald Joyce told me. I know, don't I, Mother?"