rical and strongly marked protrusion of the eyeballs, long and widely spread caudal fin. and a mottling 

 of three or four colors, with conspicuous vermilion areas or black spots. 



The highest type of ryukin has, as its cardinal feature, a perfect caudal fin; it may have either 

 three or four lobes, and is long, slender, fine-rayed, soft, and pendulous; the peduncle is thick. The 

 second point in determining the (juality of a ryukin is the^shape of the body and head: the bodv 

 should be short and only two-thirds as long as br(jad. and the head slmuld be broad ami with a 

 rounded snout. When the liody is as long as broad, the lish ranks as second best. The least desirable 

 e.\ami)les are those w itli long body and short tail. Both liack and bellv should lie variegated, and 

 the caudal fin should be red. Fashion requires that the colors be not discreet but well blended. 



The lirst mark of (|uality in the (jranda is the caudal fin. which must be symmetrical, long, and 

 flowing; at Tokyo and other more northern places a four-lobed tail is preferred, but at Korivama 

 .-md in the south generally a three-lobed. four-lobed. or bag-shaped tail is acceptable to fanciers. 

 Tlie shape of the head is the next im]>oitant quality; the anterior part of tlie head should be broad, 

 and the ])rot uberances. according to Professor Matsubara, "should be like a large well-proportioned 

 tl(]\ver ot the tree peony, and should not be small." Fish are rarely perfect in both respects — a well- 

 shaped head will be accompanied by a short tail, and vice versa. 



At Tokyo and by the adherents of the Tokyo school generally, the varieties chietiv cidtivated 

 are the wakin, ryukin, ranclni. and deniekin; but the leading variety, and the one to which most 

 attention is given by all ])ersons interested, is the ranchu. There is much friendlv rivalrv among 

 breeders and fanciers as to who can produce and possess the finest speciiuens, and each vear in autumn 

 there is held in Tokyo a ranchu exhibition at which the claims of tival owners are considered bv 

 jitrors and awards are made. Professor Matsubara gives the following accoitnt of this exhibition; 



88 



