182 
NATURAL HISTOHY OP SELBORNE. 
the street at that juncture found themselves covered with these insects, 
which settled also on the hedges and gardens, blackening all the 
vegetables where they alighted. My annuals were discoloured with 
them, and the stalks of a bed of onions were quite coated over for six 
days after. These armies were then, no doubt, in a state of emigration, 
and shifting their quarters ; and might have come, as far as we know, 
from the great hop-plantations of Kent or Sussex, the wind being all 
that day in the easterly quarter. They were observed at the same 
time in great clouds about Farnham, and all along the vale from 
Farnham to Alton."^ 
LETTEE LIY. 
TO THE SAME. 
Dear Sir, — When I happen to visit a family where gold and silver 
fishes are kept in a glass bowl, I am always pleased with the occurrence, 
because it offers me an opportunity of observing the actions and pro- 
pensities of those beings with whom we can be little acquainted in their 
natural state. Not long since I spent a fortnight at the house of a 
friend where there was such a vivary, to which I paid no small attention, 
taking every occasion to remark what passed within its narrow limits. 
It was here that I first observed the manner in which fishes die. As 
soon as the creature sickens, the head sings lower and lower, and it 
stands as it were on its head ; till, getting weaker, and losing all poise, 
the tail turns over, and at last it floats on the surface of the water with 
its belly uppermost. The reason why fishes, when dead, swim in that 
manner is very obvious ; because, when the body is no longer balanced 
by the fins of the belly, the broad muscular back preponderates by its 
own gravity, and turns the belly uppermost, as lighter from its being 
a cavity, and because it contains the swimming-bladders, which contri- 
bute to render it buoyant. Some that delight in gold and silver fishes 
have adopted a notion that they need no aliment. True it is that they 
will subsist for a long time without any apparent food but what they 
can collect from pure water frequently changed ; yet they must draw 
some support from animalcula, and other nourishment supplied by the 
water ; because, though they seem to eat nothing, yet the consequences 
of eating often drop from them. That they are best pleased with such 
jejune diet may easily be confuted, since if you toss them crumbs they 
will seize them with great readiness, not to say greediness ; however, 
bread should be given sparingly, lest, turning sour it corrupt the water. 
They will also feed on the water-plant called Lemna (ducks' meat), and 
also on small fry. 
When they want to move a little, they gently protrude themselves 
with their Pinnce pectorales ; but it is with their strong muscular tails 
only that they and all fishes shoot along with such inconceivable rapidity. 
It has been said that the eyes of fishes are immoveable ; but these 
* For various methods by which several insects shift their quarters, see 
Berham's "Physico-Theology." 
