GEN. CYPRINUS. THE GOLD CARP. 55 



variations may be diversely grouped. As already 

 stated upon a former page, M. de Sauvigny, in his 

 Hist. Nat. des Dorades de la Chine, published in 

 1780, has given coloured representations of eighty- 

 nine varieties of this Carp, exhibiting almost every 

 possible combination of metallic tinting, gold and 

 silver, orange, black, and purple. 



The following statement, with regard to the 

 treatment of these interesting prisoners in China, 

 ,as furnished by Le Comte, may interest many. 

 They are put into a deep large basin, at the bot- 

 tom of which is placed an earthen pan upside 

 down, with holes in it, so that, during the heat of 

 the day, shelter may be afforded from the sun. A 

 certain kind of herb is also thrown upon the water, 

 which keeps it always green and cool. The water 

 is changed three or four times a week ; but in such 

 a manner that the fresh enters, while the old is 

 going out. If they are obliged to transport the 

 fish from one vessel to another, they take great care 

 not to touch them with the hand, for those that are 

 touched die soon after, or are reduced to a languish- 

 ing condition: therefore they employ a small net 

 with which they gently lift them, and which does 

 not let the water escape before they are put into 

 the fresh. A great noise like that of guns or thun- 

 der, or a strong smell, or violent motion, is very 

 prejudicial, and sometimes kills them, as I have 

 often observed on shipboard, when a great gun was 

 fired. In this country they are usually fed with 

 crumbs of bread, yolks of egg boiled hard and r* 



