102 NATURAL HISTORY 



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 occur- 

 rence, because it offers me an opportunity 

 of observing the actions and propensities 

 of those beings with whom we can belittle 

 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 with- 

 in 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 



