98 



GOLD-FISH. 



Ahdominales Malacopterygii. Cyprinxdce. 



[Cijprinus auratus.) 



Local names : Golden Carp. French : Cypriii dore de la chine. 

 German : Gold-fisch and Silver-fisch. Chinese : Kin-gso- 

 Japanese : Kin-jun. 



This fish originally came from some lakes near the 

 mountains of Tchanghou-the-Kiang. It is said to have 

 been introduced into England m 1611, in the ninth year 

 of the reign of James I. Another story is that it was 

 introduced from China to St. Helena, and thence 

 brought to England in 1728, the second year of the 

 reign of George 11. I have searched in vain to find 

 any authority for any of these statements, and should 

 be very much obliged for the mformation. 



I was highly amused, not very long ago, to observe 

 that an artist had painted a scene supposed to have 

 taken place at Pompeii, in which gold - fish were re- 

 presented as swimming about in a glass globe. How 

 could the inhabitants of Pompeii, in the year a.d. 79, 

 have possibly known anything about China ? Gold-fish, 

 as we all know, are now become very common, and I may 

 say that they are the only fish that may be really called 

 domesticated. Through ignorance I am afraid these 

 poor gold-fish are often very cruelly treated by being 

 put in the hot sun, or else allowed to sufler from the cold 

 in winter, and by starvation. Gold-fish should have, 

 if possible, on the top of the water, a layer of duckweed, 

 which should be frequently changed ; also a few sprigs 

 of valesneria should be kept at the bottom by being 

 fastened on to a stone. Do not give them bread, as it 

 only fouls the water, but give them scalded vermicelli, 

 and little red worms found in rain-water butts and 



