THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. II 
They lash the water in a lively way, twisting the posterior portion of 
their bodies energetically and shooting through the water near its 
surface with short tremulous movements of the fins. At places they 
gather together in a compact mass, one tumbling over the other. 
This is the moment when the female drops her eggs, which are 
immediately impregnated by the males. 
This process is repeated throughout the summer, with intervals 
of rest during the hottest period. The eggs are of the size of a pin- 
head, and may be either semi-transparent, yellow.sh, or brilliant 
yellow in color. Whether this difference in the color of the eggs 
has anything to do with the coloring the fish will acquire after it is 
hatched still remains an open question. With the eggs of the trout 
the case is different, for the culturist can predict the color of the 
flesh of the fish when grown up; it is possible that this may also 
apply to the goldfish. The eggs are covered with some adhesive 
substance, mucus probably, and adhere to anything they happen to 
touch. The water-plants in the immediate vicinity of the place 
where the fish have been rolling about will, upon examination, be 
found covered very profusely with them. 
The young are hatched out in from two to six days, the period of 
incubation being determined by the temperature of the water and 
the condition of the weather. Direct sunlight has the effect of 
hastening the process. 
During the first few days the young fish are not able to move 
about much; they hang or lay about among the water-plants, obtain- 
ing subsistence from their yolk-bag, but as soon as this is absorbed 
they swim around on the search of something to eat. 
The color of the skin of young goldfish is at first silvery gray, but 
at an age of six weeks this color begins to change, becoming darker 
and assuming a cloudy appearance, finally taking on the permanent 
color. The whole process is sometimes completed in two days, 
