GOLDEN CARP. 25 



Davy to be hardly bearable to his hand, and that of one hundred and twenty degrees not 

 endurable. It is incredible, therefore, to think that a fish could live in a temperature of one 

 hundred and eighty-seven degrees, as recorded by Sonnerat; for, as Dr. Davy remarks, such 

 endurance would imply a different organization from that of fishes generally, when we keep 

 in mind the simple fact that the serum of their blood is coagulated by a temperature of about 

 one hundred and sixty degrees. I must refer any reader interested in these points to Davy's 

 Physiological Researches and to Dr. Edward's work on the Iiifluoice of ilic Physical Agents on 

 Life, p. 56, 57, Hodgkin's and Fisher's Translation. 



The Goldfish presents us with many varieties of form ; sometimes the dorsal fin, which 

 in a normal specimen occupies a considerable portion of the back, consists of only four or 

 five rays, or the dorsal may be absent altogether, or the anal fin may be double; the caudal 

 fin or tail may be three or four-lobed ; and strangest perhaps of all, in some cases the eyes 

 may be very large and protruding. These, I need hardly remind the reader, are the varieties 

 of Goldfish now frequently to be seen in an aquarium under the name of Japanese fan-tails, 

 telescope fish, etc. 



Goldfish seldom exceed a length of nine or ten inches. 



The specimens figured were supplied by Air. Masefield, of EUerton Hall. 



