THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE, 31 
confidence especially has a wonderful soothing effect upon most 
people. This fish originated centuries ago in the moat of a 
castle in Silesia, Germany. 
THE GREEN TENCH. 
(Tinca vulgaris.) 
This is the ancestor of the preceding. It differs only in 
the coloring of the body, which is bottle-green (tench-green is 
the name for a shade of green in Germany), with a greenish- 
golden lustre but without spots, darkest on the back, shading 
off to a golden yellow on the abdomen, and that of the eyes 
which are deep crimson in color. 
In olden times the fish culturists, the monks, called the 
tench the “fish doctor.” It was believed that any fish injured 
on their exterior by accident would search for a tench and 
when found rub its injured parts against its body to re-cover 
them with slime, the tench being very liberally supplied with 
this protective coating. I am inclined to believe that fish in 
open waters use this cure to-day. The green tench is an es- 
teemed table fish in its country and is also well liked as an 
inmate of an aquarium. 
THE GOLDEN ORPHE, GOLDORFE OR GOLDEN IDE 
(Orphus auratus, or tidus melanotus auraius of others.) 
This fish is referred to by English writers as “golden ide.” 
Owing to a custom among naturalists, sacred by time, I prefer 
for it the name by which it has been known for centuries in 
its native country, Southern Germany. Besides, this has an ad- 
vantage of a practical nature, for a ‘‘golden-eyed fish” is not 
necessarily a ‘golden ide fish.” 
The body of this fish is slender and much compressed on 
