Jan. 1, 1869.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



13 



can be adduced as any evidence of hybridization. 

 Lubbock, in his "Eauna of Norfolk," says that, 

 although often in company with the roach, "the Rudd, 

 on the whole, prefers the broad, and the roach the 

 river ; is very lively and active, rises freely at flies, 

 and is fond of sporting on the surface; is most 



Fig. 11. Scale of It u del, x 10 diameters. 



vivid in colour, sometimes nearly rivalling the 

 gold fish ; does not often exceed two pounds* 

 but is commonly met with a pound and a half in 



tig. 12. Scale of Roach, x 10. 



weight ; is much better to eat than the roach or 

 bream. I have seen marshmen select Rudd for their 

 own cookery, w T hilst they carried bream and roach 

 home only forthe dogs or the pig." To these observa- 

 tions we can bear evidence, founded upon many 

 and many a day's pleasant sport amongst them, and 

 sundry breakfasts at which a dish of Rudd was 

 smoking. Although so plentiful in Norfolk, this is 

 undoubtedly a local fish, and in many parts of the 



British Isles is wholly unknown. It has, however, 

 been recorded from other localities than those in 

 which we have made its acquaintance, as Yorkshire, 



Fig. 13. Scale of Bream, x 10. 



Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire, to which I believe 

 Cambridgeshire may be added. The scales figured 

 are from fish taken last August, on the same day, 

 and within a few yards of each other, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Barton Broad. C. 



CHRISTMAS BERRIES. 



Heap on more wood ! the wind is chill j 



But let it whistle as it will, 



We'll keep our Christmas merry still ! 



CHRISTMAS Berries. What are they ? what do 

 they include ? Looking back to former days, 

 and many a right merry Christmas long gone by, I 

 should certainly say that the holly, the laurel, the 

 ivy, and the mistletoe are most undoubtedly Christ- 

 mas berries, for the plants and shrubs on which they 

 grow have been, and still are, those most generally 

 used for the decorations in fashion at Christmas-time 

 in private houses. Church decorations is another 

 matter. Many persons object to the 



Ivy soft and meek of speech, 



as the old carol has it, because it was considered 

 sacred to Bacchus; and as to the mistletoe, a lady of 

 my acquaintance read some young relatives of hers a 

 long lecture on the Druidical rites performed in con- 

 nection with this parasitical shrub, when they faintly 

 hinted that its smooth white berries would form a 

 pretty contrast to the coral-like red of the holly 

 fruit, in an elaborate piece of floral embroidery, 

 which they were making for a pet curate's especial 

 delectation. But, as I am not particularly up 

 either in clerical millinery or church ornamentation, 

 I shall confine my description to those old home 

 favourites, which we doubtless all remember as 

 associated with our earliest recollections of Christ- 

 mas day. 



Nay, ivy, nay, it shall not be I wys ; 



Let holly have the mastery, as the manner is. 



