OF SELBORNE. 299 
containing such fishes: the double refractions of 
the glass and water represent them, when moving, 
in a shifting and changeable variety of dimensions, 
shades, and colours ; ‘while the two mediums, as- 
sisted by the concavo-convex shape of the vessel, 
magnify and distort them vastly; not to mention 
that the introduction of another element and its in- 
habitants into our parlours engages the fancy in a 
very agreeable manner. 
Gold and silver fishes, though originally natives 
of China and Japan, yet are become so well recon- 
ciled to our climate as to thrive and multiply very 
fast in our ponds and stews. Linneus ranks this 
species of fish under the genus of cyprinus or carp, 
and calls it cyprinus auratus. 
Some people exhibit this sort of fish in a very 
fanciful way; for they cause a glass bowl to be 
blown with a large hollow space within that does 
not communicate with it. In this cavity they put 
a bird occasionally, so that you may see a gold- 
finch or a linnet hopping, as it were, in the midst 
of the water, and the fishes swimming in a circle 
round it. The simple exhibition of the fishes is 
agreeable and pleasant ; but in so complicated a 
way becomes whimsical and unnatural, and liable 
to the objection due to him, 
“ Qui variare cupit rem prodigialitér unam.” 
