346 The Natural History of Selborne 



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 greediness ; 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 protrude themselves 

 with their Pinnae -pectorales ; but it is with their strong muscular tails 

 only that they and all fishes shoot along with such inconceivable 

 rapidity. It has been said that the eyes of fishes are immovable ; but 

 these apparently turn them forward or backward in their sockets as 

 occasions require. They take little notice of a lighted candle, though 

 applied close to their "heads, but flounce and seem much frightened 

 by a sudden stroke of the hand against the support whereon the bowl 

 is hung ; especially when they have been motionless, and are perhaps 

 asleep. As fishes have no eye-lids, it is not easy to discern when they 

 are sleeping or not, because their eyes are always open. 



Nothing can be more amusing than a glass bowl 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, assisted by the concavo- 

 convex shape of the vessel, magnify and distort them vastly ; not to 

 mention that the introduction of another element and its inhabitants 

 into our parlours engages the fancy in a very agreeable manner. 



Gold and silver fishes, though originally native of China and Japan, 

 yet are become so well reconciled to our climate as to thrive and 

 multiply very fast in our ponds and stews. Linnaeus ranks this species 



