184 THE ART OF TRAINING ANIMALS. 



Gold and silver fish are frequently kept as ornainents in glass 

 globes or aquaria ; those vessels which present the largest surface 

 to the air being preferable. Fish kept in the flask shaped, or 

 narrow mouth globes, so often used by thoughtless persons, can 

 never be kept healthy, and their spasmodic efforts to get breath 

 are a sufficient indication of their sufferings. 



These fishes may be easily tamed. Gentleness is the all-es- 

 sential requisite. They can be taught to eat from their owner's 

 hand by first dropping morsels of food in the water while your 

 finger is placed on the outside as near it as possible. For a lit- 

 tle while they will be afraid to approach the food, restrained by 

 the sight of the finger, but by-and-by they will approach and 

 seize it. After they have ceased to fear your fingers on the out- 

 side, attach a bit of the food to your finger and cautiously in- 

 sert it in the water ; if hungry they will presently muster cour- 

 age to come and take it, and in due time will take their food in 

 that manner as a matter of course. If fed at stated hours they 

 will learn to distinguish the approach of the customary feeding 

 time and will signify the fact by floating up to the surface shak- 

 ing their fins, and sticking their heads out of the water. In this 

 same manner they recognize their master or misti-ess and ex- 

 press their pleasure at his or her approach. 



A lady writer thus describes some fish kept in her family as 

 pets : " They knew a wonderful deal more did these little fishes. 

 They would come to the top of the water to be fed and take 

 their food from my fingers. When they wanted fresh water 

 they could call for it by making an odd, clicking noise. They 

 would remain perfectly still while being talked to, and wink 

 with evident satisfaction at the compliments lavished upon them. 

 When, after a prolonged absence, their lawful owners returned 

 to them, these little fishes would wriggle about and indulge in 

 wonderful demonstrations of joy and welcome. Oh, the learned 

 Geal was nothing in comparison to them." 



It is not alone gold and silver fish that admit of being tamed. 

 A correspondent writing from Franklin, Indiana, says of the 

 fishes in a pond on his grounds that they will approach on hear- 

 ing his whistle, eat from his hands, and allow him to take them 

 from the water. A little girl in one of the New England states 

 rendered some trout, which inhabited a brook near her father's 

 house, so exceedingly tame, that, when feeding them, she was 

 obliged to check the impetuosity of the more voracious ones by 

 a little stick armed at the point with a needle. 



Mr. 0. L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, is our authority for the fol- 

 lowing story : ^' While upon the Island of Bermuda, in travel- 

 ing from one portion of the island to the other, I passed by a 



