NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 257 



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 will 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 pinnce 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 appa- 

 rently 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 eyelids, 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 contain- 

 ing 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. 



308 



