CYPRINID^E. 189 



Length of head 4 to 4f , of caudal fin 5f , height of body 3| to 4 in the 

 total length. Eyes diameter 6| to 1\ times in the length of the head (but 

 comparatively larger in the young), 2 diameters from the eud of the snout, and 

 from 2 to 2-j- apart. Interorbital space flat. The thickness of the head equals 

 its length excluding the snout, while its height equals its thickness. Snout 

 obtuse, mouth anterior, jaws anteriorly of the same length, gape wide, cleft rather 

 shallow ; the posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches to beneath the hind 

 nostrils. Lips thick. Teeth pharyngeal, in a single row, 4 or 5/5 or 4, sometimes 

 4 on one side and 5 on the other. Gill-rakers short. Fins dorsal commences 

 above the end of the base of the ventral, and is continued almost to above the 

 origin of the anal : all the fins are rounded. In the males the first or even more 

 of the ventral rays are thicker than in the female, as will be alluded to. Scales 

 about 18 rows between the lateral-line and the base of the ventral fin. Lateral- 

 line at first gradually descends and above the base of the ventral is continued 

 to the centre of the base of the caudal fin. From the thickness of its skin it is 

 termed the "shoemaker" in Holland. Colours leaden or greenish, lightest 

 beneath ; fins blackish. 



Yarieties. The golden tench (variety aurata) merely differs from the common 

 form in its colours, which may be simply yellow or red, either without or conjoined 

 with black spots or blotches (variety maculata). These forms are now extensively 

 propagated in this country. Mr. Berney, of Merton HalJ, Norfolk, in 1852, 

 imported this variety of the tench from near Breslau, in Lower Silesia ; and in 1868 

 Lord Walsingham introduced some into his Merton estate. According to Siebold 

 (1863) the fine black spotted, or orange-yellow or red variety is indigenous in 

 Upper Silesia. Although this variety renders it a valuable addition to aquaria 

 and pieces of ornamental water, its colours, on the other hand, cause it to be 

 readily perceived by its enemies, including poachers. 



Names. Sliw, pronounced " slew," Anglo-Saxon. Gwrachen and Ysgretten, 

 Welsh. Be ZeeU, Dutch. Tanche, French. 



Habits. The tench prefers still waters to running streams, more especially 

 thriving in reservoirs, ponds full of water-weeds, and pits from which clay has 

 been excavated for brick-making. It seems, also, to do better in foul and weedy 

 than in clean water, and in broads and sluggish rivers as the Thames than in 

 those which flow with considerable velocity ; while muddy and marly bottoms are 

 especially suitable to its prosperity. Where carp are found such localities are 

 commonly well-adapted for tench. 



It is generally seen in small companies, and appears to frequently keep near 

 the bottom, except during the summer, when, more especially during spawning 

 time, it lies near the surface among the weeds. Although possessing a very thick 

 skin and covered with a large amount of slimy mucus, it seems to be very 

 susceptible to cold, and has been credited with passing a considerable portion of 

 the winter months in a semi-lethargic condition buried in semi-aquatic mud. It 

 will dive down into the mud in order to escape from nets, while its " run " differs 

 from that of the rudd or bream, being short and irregular. It is very tenacious of 

 life, in which respect it is but little inferior to the eel among fresh-water fishes. 

 Pennell states that he has known one to live for an entire day with the gimp of 

 a double jack-hook passed under its skin from its gills to its tail, the fish being 

 meanwhile cast about from place to place in the water and suspended in a most 

 unusual position. Tench have frequently been observed to live a whole day out 

 of water. 



It feeds on insects, larvas, worms and vegetable substances, and a correspondent 

 of the Field (November 5th, 1881) remarks that he took " a tench of 4 lb. while 

 perch fishing with a small red worm. This may or may not alter the theory that 

 they do not feed during the winter months ; but this season, in the Lea, a goodly 

 number have been bagged when least expected.^ 



It is curious to observe the contorted positions in which these fish apparently 

 go to sleep ; sometimes the head rests on the floor of the aquarium, some are bent 

 into most uncomfortable-looking shapes, while they lie so motionless as to appear 

 to the observer as if they were dead. 



