116 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



How kept in China Docility. 



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. 



When dead these fish lose all their lustre. It 

 is the general opinion that the eyes of fish are 

 immovable, but these apparently turn them for- 

 ward or backward in their sockets according to 

 their inclinations. They take little notice of a 

 lighted candle though applied close to their heads, 

 but bounce and seem much frightened by a sud- 

 den stroke of the hand against the support where- 

 on their bowl is hung, especially when they have 

 "been motionless, or perhaps asleep. As fish have 

 no eyelids, it is not very easy to discern when 

 they are sleeping or not, because their eyes are 

 always open. 



In China these fish are kept in ponds, or large 

 porcelain vessels, by almost every person of dis- 

 tinction. In these they are very lively and active, 

 sporting about the sarface of the water with great 

 vivacity ; but they are so very delicate that, if 

 great guns are fired, or any substances giving out 

 a powerful smell, as pitch or tar, are burned near 

 them, numbers of them will be killed. In each 

 of those ponds or basins where they are kept, there 

 is an earthen pan, with holes in it, turned upside 

 clown. Under this they retire when, at any time, 

 they find the rays of the sun too powerful. 



When gold fish are kept in ponds, they are 

 pften taught to rise to the surface of the water at 



