NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 257 



LETTER LIV. 



TO THE SAME. 



DEAR SIR, 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 spent a 

 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 

 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 protude themselves 

 with their Pinna perforates ; but it is with their strong muscular 



K 



