GOLDEN I ISII. 
7G3 
^•'reenisb colour, makes excellent food, and is the favourite dish of sai- 
lors, as well as of epicures. It lives on cuttle and shell fish, and 
grows to a prodigious size, some having been found to weigh four 
hundred and eiglity pounds. The Americans find so good account in 
catching turtle, that they have made themselves very expert at 
it : they watch them from their nests on shore, in moon-light nights ; 
and, before they reach the sea, turn them on their backs, and leave 
them till morning ; when they are sure to find them, since they are 
utterly unable to recover their former posture : at other times they 
hunt them in boats with a peculiar kind of spear, striking them with 
it through the shell ; and as there is a cord fastened to the spear, 
they are taken much in the same manner as whales. 
Golden Fish. 
These fish are domesticated by the Chinese, and generally kept 
for ornament by great people in their courts and gardens. They breed 
them in small ponds made for the purpose, in basons, and even in 
porcelain vessels. This fish is no larger than our pilchard or herring. 
The male is of a bright red colour from the top of the head to the 
middle of the body ; the rest is of a gold colour; but it is so bright 
and splendid, that the finest gilding, according to Foie Comte, can- 
not approach it. The female is w'hite, but its tail and half its body 
resemble the lustre of silver. F. du Halde, however, observes, tliat a 
red and white colour are not alv/ays the distinguishing marks of the 
male and female, but that the females are known by several white 
spots which are seen round the orifices that serve them as organs of 
hearing, and the males by having these spots much brighter. Gold 
fish are light and lively, they love to sport on the surface of the water, 
soon become familiarized, and may even be accustomed to come and 
receive their food on sounding a little rattle. Great care is neces- 
sary to preserve them, for they are extremely delicate, and sensible 
of ibe least injuries of the air ; a loud noise, such as that of thunder 
or cannons, a strong smell, a violent shaking of the vessel, or a 
single touch, will oft-tinjes destroy them. 
These fish live with little nourishment; Jthose small worms which 
are engendered in the water, or the earthy particles that are mixed with 
it, are sufiicient for their food. The Chinese, how'ever, take care to 
throw into the basons and reservoirs where they are kept, small balls 
of paste, which they are very fond of when dissolved ; they give them 
also lean pork, dried in the sun, and reduced to a fine and delicate 
powder, and sometimes snails. The slime which these insects leave 
at the bottom of the vessel is a great delicacy for them, and they 
eagerly hasten to feed upon it. In winter they are removed from the 
court to a warm chamber, where they are kept generally shut up in a 
porcelain vessel. During that season they receive no nourishment. 
However, in spring, when they are carried back to their former bason, 
they sport and play with the same strength and liveliness that they 
did the preceding year. 
In warm countries these fish multiply fast, provided care be taken 
to collect their spawn, which floats on the water, and which they 
