NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 257 
US eae Oe a 
TO THE SAME. 
DEAR StR,—When I happen to visit a family where gold and 
silver fishes are kept in a glass bowl, I am always pleased with the 
occurrence, because it offers me an opportunity of observing the 
actions and propensities of those beings with whom we can be 
little acquainted in their natural state. Not long since I spenta 
fortnight at the house of a friend where there was such a vivary, to 
which I paid no small attention, taking every occasion to remark 
what passed within its narrow limits. It was here that I first 
observed the manner in which fishes die. As soon as the creature 
sickens, the head sinks lower and lower, and it stands as it were 
on its head; till, getting weaker, and losing all poise, the tail 
turns over, and at last it floats on the surface of the water with its 
belly uppermost. The reason why fishes, when dead, swim in that 
manner is very obvious; because, when the body is no longer 
balanced by the fins of the belly, the broad muscular back pre- 
ponderates by its own gravity, and turns the belly uppermost, as 
lighter from its being a cavity, and because it contains the 
swimming-bladders, which contribute to render it buoyant. Some 
that delight in gold and silver fishes have adopted a notion that 
they need no aliment. ‘True it is that they will subsist for a long 
time without any apparent food but what they can collect from 
pure water frequently changed; yet they must draw some support 
from animalcula, and other nourishment supplied by the water ; 
because, though they seem to eat nothing, yet the consequences of 
eating often drop from them. That they are best pleased with 
such jejune diet may easily be confuted, since if you toss them 
crumbs they will seize them with great readiness, not to say 
zgreediness ; however, bread should be given sparingly, lest, turning 
sour it corrupt the water. They also feed on the water-plant 
called Lemna (ducks’ meat), and also on small fry. 
When they want to move a little, they gently protude themselve$ 
with their Pzuu@ pectorales; but it is with their strong muscular 
S 
