62 AMPHIBIANS AND FISHES. 



feelers, one on each side the mouth. If this fish is 

 kept, the bottom of the tank should be covered with 

 sand and gravel, not mud, or otherwise the water will 

 be fouled by its habit of stirring up the bottom. It 

 is a voracious feeder, and will eat up any animal 

 garbage that may be lying about. It is best to keep 

 several of these fishes in the same tank, as they are 

 very social in their habits, and will not live long 

 solitary. 



The minnow (Cyprinus, or Phoxinus Icevis] is 

 another of our commonest little fresh-water fishes, 



Fig. 21. 



Minnow (Phoxinus lavis). 



and remarkable for assuming prismatic colours during 

 the spawning season, after the manner of the male 

 sticklebacks. Like the gudgeon, it is gregarious, and 

 usually found in shoals ; but, unlike it, it is fonder of 

 the surface, where it can bask in the sunshine, than 

 of the bottom of the water. It lives as well in con- 

 finement as the sticklebacks do, and is quite as 

 vivacious and attractive. Indeed, many people prefer 

 it to the stickleback, on account of its more peaceful 

 habits. 



The pope (Perca fliiviatilis minor} is a beautiful 

 fish, a well-marked variety of the common perch. 



