424 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



teen pounds. It is enormously prolific, as the roe of one 

 female weighing nine pounds was found to contain six hundred 

 thousand eggs. Of course comparatively few of these eggs 

 arrive at maturity, by far the greater number being eaten by 

 other fish. 



CYPRINUS. 



v 



Barbtis (Lat. Barba, a beard), the Barbel. 

 Auratus (Lat. gilded), the Gold-fish. 



The GOLD-FISH or GOLDEN CARP, is another species of the 

 genus Cyprinus. It was originally brought from China, about 

 two hundred years since, when it was considered a great curi- 

 osity ; now, however, it is quite common, and is found to live 

 in ponds even when the surface of the water is thickly covered 

 with ice. The ponds in Christ Church College, and the Bo- 

 tanic Gardens, Oxford, are thickly populated with these beau- 

 tiful fish, which increase with the most marvellous rapidity. 

 The pond in the centre of the Clarendon Printing Office was 

 stocked with these fish, and as the spare water from the steam- 

 engine used in the works passed into the pond, they throve 

 amazingly. One unfortunate morning, the surface of the pond 

 was covered with Golden Carp, all floating dead. Some verdi- 

 gris had formed in some part of the enginej*had been washed 

 into the pond, and had poisoned all its finny inhabitants. 



