GEN. TTNCA. THE COMMON TENCH. 63 



be quite free, under some roots there seemed to be 

 an animal which was conjectured to be an otter; 

 the place was surrounded ; and on opening an en- 

 trance among the roots, a Tench was found of most 

 singular form, having literally assumed the shape of 

 the hole, in which he had, of course, for many years 

 been confined. His length, from eye to fork, was 

 thirty-three inches ; his circumferance, almost to the 

 tail, was twenty-seven; his weight eleven pounds 

 nine ounces and a quarter ; the colour was also sin- 

 gular, his belly being that of char or vermilion. 

 This extraordinary fish, after having been inspected 

 by many gentlemen, was carefully put into a pond, 

 and at the time the account was written, twelve 

 months afterwards, was alive and w^ell. Tench, con- 

 tinues Mr. Daniel, are said to love foul and weedy 

 more than clear water; but situation does not always 

 influence their taste. These fish, taken out of Mun- 

 den Hall Fleet, in Essex, which was so thick with 

 weeds that the flew-nets could hardly be sunk 

 through them, and where the mud w^as intolerably 

 fetid, and had dyed the fish of its own colour, which 

 was that of ink, could no where be better grown, 

 nor of finer flavour; many were taken which 

 weighed nine pounds, and some ten, a brace. In a 

 pond at Leigh's Priory, a quantity of Tench was 

 caught, about three pounds each, of a colour the most 

 clear and beautiful ; but when some of them were 

 dressed and brought to table, they smelt and tasted 

 60 rankly of a particular weed, that no one could 

 eat them. Some that were conveyed alive, and 



