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 (duck's meat), and also on 

 small fry. 



When they want to move a little they gently 

 protrude themselves with \\\m pmiice pcctorales ; 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 apparently turn them forward 

 or backward in their sockets as their occasions re- 

 quire. 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, be- 

 cause their eyes are always open. Nothing can be 

 more amusing than a glass bowl containing such 

 fishes : the double refractions of the glass and w^ater 

 represent them, when moving, in a shifting and 

 changeable variety of dimensions, shades, and col- 

 ours ; while the two mediums, assisted by the con- 

 cavo-convex shape of the vessel, magnify and distort 

 them vastly : not to mention that the introduction 

 of another element and its inhabitants into our par- 

 lours engages the fancy in a very agreeable manner. 



156 



