THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. 49 



Music or the report of firearms does not affect them at all, but 

 the flash from the discharged gun will scare them. 



Do fish sleep ? Yes. 



In the act of sleeping they do not close the eyelids, for the very 

 good reason that they have none; neither do they select the night 

 for the purpose. Goldfish have been seen asleep in the broad sun- 

 light of the forenoon, and the same varieties have also been found 

 sleeping at midnight. Their time for resting then, does not occur 

 at stated periods, but whenever the desire comes upon them. The 

 fish may very easily be observed in slumber, remaining perfectly 

 still, the only motion being that of the breathing apparatus and the 

 pectoral fins, the action being very slow but regular. All the other 

 fins are at rest, and the pupils of the eyes appear to be drawn back. 

 The other senses taste and smell are very well developed. 



We come now to the consideration of the process of reproduction, 

 The organs for this purpose are distributed between two individuals 

 the male and the female. The female organs consist of two sacs 

 located immediately below the spinal column on each side of 

 the air bladder, uniting towards the posterior end in a single 

 oviduct which discharges outside, behind the anus (fig 1.). These 

 contain the eggs by thousands and which increase in size when the 

 spawning season arrives, greatly distending the ovarian sacs.- The 

 ripe egg when it separates from the ovary, passes through a tube 

 (the oviduct) (fig. m,) the opening of which, as before stated, is 

 outside, immediately behind the anus. (fig. n.) 



In the male fish the spermatic organs which are located the same 

 as the sacs in the female, secrete a thick white fluid which contains 

 innumerable small organic bodies, which when discharged and in a 

 fresh condition, move about, enter the egg, impregnate it and start 

 the development of the embryo. These bodies which are called 

 spermatazoa, consist of an anterior thicker part, the so-called head, 



