A CHINESE MONSTROSITY

Evening Post, Issue 65, 13 September 1924, Page 16

A CHINESE MONSTROSITY

FISH THAT LOOKS THROUGH TOP OF ITS HEAD. • "'

A specimen of the, most reniarkablo of the many extraordinary varieties of goldfish produced by the" Chinese and Japanese has been installed in the London Zoo aquarium, writes', "A.K.H." in ths "Daily Chronicle." It is-known as the Celestial on account of its gaze being constantly' directed heavenward, and, on this account, the variety i" t'aid to be considered sacred by some Ciicn- ■ tals and accorded a place iii "their temples. As its eyes are placed on the top of its head, the unfortunate lisli connot very we.ll gaze elsewhere; while being without a back (in it lias'some d.frloulty m balancing itself in the water For centuries the Chinese have teen striving to produce monstrosities of li'.js kind, but, in the case of the Celes'i.-il, they have sin-passer) themselves. -\i"cj:h time it was thought that, they achieved success in this direction by keepiii" goldfish in jars lighted only from.a. small slit m the top or that an operation was performed upon the muscles of ilin eves Neither supposition is cuirect., however iis is proved by the i'act that the optical peculiarity is reproduced in the offspring. At first tho young fish arc'typical "tele-scopes"-—goldfish with eyes bulging from the sides of the head—but afU-r two or three :nonlhs the eyes commence to shift upwards uiil.il evenl-nally the fish lityiu!Jy lucks uui, uf Hit. lop of its head.--'