
HISTORY AND ANATOMY OF THE GOLDFISH 

in an overturned position, the back down and the belly upwards ; but can turn readily when they 
wish to swim, or can move about as well in the overturned position. It seems that this is also the 
most richly colored fish. 
The Long- Tsing- Yu or Dragon Eyes correspond with the ** Telescope ’’ and «*Gros-yeux’’ 
of M. de Lacépéde, a variety remarkable for the enormous development of the eyes. I have 
dissected them and have not found any difference in internal or external structure, the eye only 
is much larger. Their right or oblique muscles were very weak, but the oblique nerves did not 
appear smaller. This fish often holds itself overturned like the preceding. The Chinese have 
a singular belief as to the origin of this species, regarding it as a cross between the ordinary Kin- 
yu, or common goldfish, fecundated by a frog. It is however one of the rarest breeds, and are 
sold in Pekin for as much as twenty thalers a piece. 
>] 
The Choui-Yu or Sleepers are a variety which keep themselves at the bottom of the water 
without motion. It would appear that to come to the surface of the vessel is a fatigue for the fish 
because it goes back very promptly to the sand. 
The Kin-Teon-Yu or Leapers have the habit of frequently obliquely jumping out of the 
water, like some species of our carp. 
The Kin-Eubk-Yu of Nymphs are less brilliant in gold or silver than the others; but the 
delicate lustre, the rich shades and the iridescence of their colorings and the quickness of their 
movements, make this variety highly appreciated. 
The Quen-Yu or Lettered. In conclusion the missionaries mention the Quen-yu or lettered 
goldfish, the colors of which are so placed that one seems to find Chinese characters along their 
sides. The dealers in Pekin pretend that they obtained this result by a secret method. The 
fathers of the missions learned, but without verification from trustworthy source, that the Chinese 
by a method similar to tatooing cause the sides of the fish to appear as though covered by written 
characters. ‘They believe that a paste is employed to leave these tracings on the fish, made of 
arsenic mixed with the urine of the tortoise, as skin preparations usually contain this metal; which 
has a very active effect; and it is natural to suppose that this metallic agent would leave marks 
on the horny scales of the fish. 
The above constitutes the basis for probably all the more recent de- 
scriptions of the Chinese goldfish breeds; the differences being principally 
in the wording, errors of translation, or unfamiliarity with the toy varieties 
of this fish. 
In the Nouveau Memoirs de la Societé Imperial des Naturists de Moscow, 
1855, M. Basilewsky depicted five goldfishes, which he designated cyprini 
aurati, all having elongated bodies, either “tripod” tails, “web” tails or 
double tails; and two having “spiked” dorsal fins of three and five rays. 
All have larger eyes than the common goldfish but not protruding from 
the head. 
Dr. P. Bleeker in the 4¢las Ichthiologique des Indes Néérlandisis 1863, 
describes nine breeds of goldfishes, four from Sarakarta, Java, and five 
from Jedo, Japan. Two of these are new, the others are based upon 
the descriptions and nomenclature of Bloch, Valenciennes, de Lacépéde 
and Basilewsky. 
FISHES IN GENERAL 
The Pisces or fishes belong to the Vertebrata and may be defined 
as gilled and generally scaled cold-blooded vertebrate animals having a 
heart consisting of a single auricle and ventricle, limbs in the form of fins, 
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