268 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



is strikingly shortened — this being one of the points to which the variety was bred — 

 and has a rounded, bulged-out abdomen. The tail and all the tins are long and 

 flowing, the former being as long as or even longer than the body. This, in my 

 opinion, is the most beautiful breed. A "ryukin" 2 or 3 years old, slowly swim- 

 ming with its long, flowing, graceful fins and tail, full of quiet dignity, 1 can liken 

 to nothing so much as to Japanese court ladies of olden times, dressed in long robes 

 and walking with quiet grace and dignity. 



3. The " ranchu," also called "maruko" (literally, round fish), "shishigashira" 

 (literally, lion headed), and sometimes "Corean goldfish." This is distinguished by 

 its rather broad head, its extremely short, almost globular body, the short tail, and 

 the absence of the dorsal fin. Some individuals of this variety develop in the second 

 year, or at the latest in the third year, a number of peculiar wart-like protuberances 

 all over the head, making it look as if it had a low coxcomb or some skin disease. 

 Such tish are called the "shishigashira." or •'lion-headed. 1 ' This variety is seen often 

 swimming upside down, a fact with which the absence of the dorsal tin probably has 

 something to do. 



■4. The " oranda-shishigashira " (literally, Dutch lion-headed). The adjective 

 Dutch is known to have nothing to do with the place of origin of the tish, but was 

 attached to the name to denote something novel. This variety was produced in 

 ( )saka in the forties of the last century by crossing the " ryukin" with the " ranchu." 

 Therefore, it possesses a body more or less like that of the "ryukin" with the dorsal 

 fin, but from the second year or thereabouts the head begins to develop the wart-like 

 protuberances described under the ••ranchu."" When fully developed, this breed 

 is, to my mind at least, anything but beautiful. It is cultivated near Kyoto or 

 Osaka, while the "ryukin" is reared most in Tokyo. 



The above four breeds are common and can be seen in almost any goldfish seller's. 

 There are some other rarer or newer varieties: 



5. The " shukin." This is a breed only recently produced by my friend, Mr. 

 Akiyama, a skilful gold-fish breeder of Tokyo, and also produced independently in 

 Osaka. It was obtained by crossing the " oranda-shishigashira " with the " ranchu." 

 It is "lion-headed" — that is, has warts on the head — has the globular body of the 

 " ranchu " without any dorsal fin, but it has a long flowing tail. It may be charac- 

 terized as a long-tailed variety of the " ranchu." 



<i. The "deme" (literally '•protruding eyes" or "telescope tish"). Contrary to 



what is stated in many American and European I ks, the telescope tish is only a 



recent introduction into Japan. In fact, it was brought to Japan at the end of the 

 late Japan-China war (1894-95). As is well known, in this variety the large eyeballs 

 have started out of the skull and protrude sideways from the head, which thus some- 

 what resembles (although only superficially) that of the hammer-headed shark. The 

 body is short; the color ic yellowish, or at least not usually bright red. and often has 

 black spots or irregular black patches scattered over the body. It should be stated 

 that the first-year young have the eyes in the normal position, the protrusion occur- 

 ring gradually in the course of growth and not through any artificial devices. These 



o I am sorry that these are not very well brought out in the accompanying photographs. They 

 are seen better in plate VI. 



