270 NATURAL HISTORY 
nourifliment fupplied by the water ; becaufe, though they feem 
to eat nothing, yet the confequences of eating often drop from 
them. That they are beft pleafed with fuch Jejune diet may eafily 
be confuted, fince if you tofs them crumbs they will feize them 
with great readinefs, not to fay greedinefs : however, bread fliould 
be given fparingly, left, turning four, it corrupt the water. They 
will alfo feed on the water-plant called lemna (duck's meat), and alfo 
on fmall fry. 
When they want to move a little they gently protrude themfelves 
with their pinn^ peBorales ; but it is with their flrong mufcular tails 
only that they and all fifhes fhoot along with fuch inconceivable 
rapidity. It has been faid that the eyes of filhes are immoveable j 
but thefe apparently turn them forward or backward in their 
fockets as their occalions require. They take little notice of a 
lighted candle, though applied clofe to their heads, but flounce 
and feem much frightened by a fudden flroke of the hand againft 
the fupport whereon the bowl is hung ; efpecially when they have 
been motionlefs, and are perhaps afleep. As fiflies have no eye* 
lids, it is not eafy to difcern when they are fleeping or not, be- 
caufe their eyes are always open. 
Nothing can be more araufing than a glafs bowl containing fuch 
fifhes : the double rcfradlions of the glafs and water reprefent them, 
when moving, in a fhifting and changeable variety of dimenfions, 
flaades, and colours ; while the two mediums, aflifted by the 
concavo-convex fhape of the veflel, magnify and diftort them 
vaflly ; not to mention that the introduftion of another element 
and it's inhabitants into our parlours engages the fancy in a very 
agreeable manner. 
Gold 
