PISHES. Ill 



(8) Never permit the presence of armed and bullying fish 

 ■with unarmed and timid ones — e.g., sticklebacks with small 

 goldfish. 



(9) Never allow the water-plants in their luxuriant growth 

 to fill the whole aquarium, and so interfere with the free 

 movements of the fish. 



(10) Always remove dead and dying weeds, or dead and 

 dying animals of any kind, at once. 



There are no fish more commonly seen in the aquarium 

 than the Gold-fish {Carassius auratus) (Fig. 87), and few 

 are more suited to a life there than they are. They are 



Fig. 87. GoiDEN Carp (Carassius auratds). 



very hardy, not too active, handsome, of various colours, and 

 easily tamed. Not only do these fish vary in their colour, 

 but also in their fins : some fins are double, others are 

 entirely wanting. Occasionally one fish has two or three 

 tails. I have had a Silver-fish in my possession for some 

 years whose tail looks, from behind, like an inverted capital 

 T. This fish is perfectly healthy and very handsome, his 

 scales glistening like mother-of-pearl. 



It is a long time since Gold-fish were first introduced into 

 England, and when is a matter of doubt ; probably, however, 

 about the yeaa- 1611. They originally came from China. 



A great many Golden Carp are now aimually bred in this 

 country, especially in those tanks which receive the waste 

 hot water from some of the gi-eat manufactories in the 



