12 THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. 
preying upon small fish, and devouring its own spawn and young. 
The food is taken in by a sucking motion of-the lips; the mouth 
being toothless, as in all carps, the mastication is accomplished by a 
few bony tubercles situated in the throat. 
In the spring or summer following the one in which they were 
hatched, goldfish attain their maturity. The size of the fish has 
nothing whatever to do with the ability to spawn, though a large fish 
will deposit more eggs than a small one. As an instance, goldfish 
one inch in length, nine months old, spawned in an aquarium kept 
in a parlor; all the eggs hatched and the young grew up. In the 
spring of that year, when the temperature of the water rises above 
60° F., they become lively and vivacious, losing all timidity and 
precaution, so that they easily fall a prey to their many enemies. 
Two, three or more male fish follow a female, chasing her to 
some shallow place where there is an abundance of water-plants. 
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 
