18 THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. 
should die out, loaned to the author for the purpose of reproduction 
several fine specimens she had recently obtained. The pure stock 
may now be considered secure for the future. In evidence of the 
extreme beauty of the species, it may be stated that private parties 
paid ,for fine specimens twenty times the weight of the fish in gold. 
What has been said about the difficulty of raising telescope fish, 
may with almost equal propriety be repeated for the fringe-tail. 
Unlike the former, the latter fish spawns against aquatic plants, the 
extrusion of the eggs not being so difficult. 
THE FANTAIL. 
The body is elongated and compressed ‘on the sides; the head 
pointed ; the fins are short and stout, the anal sometimes double, and 
occasionally found wanting. The caudal fin is comparatively short, 
is double, with the upper edges grown together; it is sometimes erect 
like that of the fantail pigeon (see frontispiece), or projects horizon- 
tally. The colors are mostly vermillion and white; in some cases 
the whole body is white, with the exception of the abdomen, this 
being golden; in others the body is dark red, the belly also golden. 
The color of the eyes is variable. 
It may be mentioned here as an advantage of the double-tailed 
fish, that they are unable to jump out of the water. This fact is 
undoubtedly one to be appreciated by those keeping an aquarium. 
THE COMET. 
This is a noble looking fish, and greatly resembles the fantail. 
Its body is slender, the fins very large and of fine structure; the 
caudal fin is single and deeply divided. The coloring is identical 
with the preceding. 
