64 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY. 



put into other water, soon recovered themselves 

 from this noxious taint; an experiment that will 

 always answer in this kind of fish." 



Tench are found spawning from June to Sept., 

 and the female, as stated by Mr. Yarrell, is usually 

 attended by two males, who follow her from one 

 bunch of weeds to another, upon which the ova are 

 deposited ; and so engrossed are they at this time 

 in fulfilling the Divine command, that I have fre- 

 quently dipped out all the three fish by a sudden 

 -plunge of the landing-net. The ova are very nu- 

 merous, being, says Bloch, nearly 300,000, in a fish 

 of four pounds weight. They are omnivorous. 



In conclusion, we must not omit to state a sin- 

 gular property which is assigned to the Tench by 

 many of the older writers, and by some modem ones 

 too. It is alleged it has a sanative property pro- 

 ceeding from its cutaneous secretion, the virtue of 

 which is said to be appreciated by other fishes. 

 Old Walton says, I hope I may be so bold as to tell 

 you that the Tench is the physician of fishes, and 

 for the Pike especially, so that a Pike being either 

 sick or hurt, is cured by the touch of the Tench ; 

 and it is observed that this fresh-water tyrant vdll 

 not play the wolf to his physician, but forbears to 

 devour him though he be never so hungry. Boccius 

 again, says, it is a well authenticated fact that no 

 fish of prey will ever touch Tench ; so it is also un- 

 derstood that Tench act medicinally to other fish, 

 by rubbing against them when w^ounded or sick. 

 Hence, in Germany, the fishermen call it the Doc- 



