IC):1 TITK FlJKSII-WATEi; FISITKS OF EFKol'K. 



shallow water, but is found in rivers and lakes. It swims quickly and often 

 skims over the surface. It lives on wor.ns, insects, and vci^etable substances; 

 in some waters ])omf]^ almost entirely a ve.f^etable feeder, but Giinther remarks 

 that where animal food is abundant the fish are better nourished. Its flesh, 

 however, is not valued for food, thous^h in season from October to January. 

 Ileckel and Kner mention that in Ilpjier Austria, accordin*]^ to old custom, 

 any one is at liberty to catch it from four to five o'clock in the evening-, between 

 Ascension day and St. John the Baptist's day. 



The Dace commences to spawn when the warm weather ])e2;-ins, as early as 

 March in Germany, but usually in May and June in England. The eggs are 

 numerous and deposited on stones, where they are preyed npon by many 

 enemies, so that the species is nowhere very plentiful. Its habit is gregarious, 

 iind the fish commonly swim in shoals. 



The young remain for a time in the stagnant or tranquil water in which 

 they are hatched, and as they increase in size become more adventurous, and 

 move to rapid parts of the stream. Yarrell mentions that it is often taken by 

 fly-iishers when fishing for Trout. It is tenacious of life, and valued as bait 

 for Pike; in Germany it is used as bait for Salmon. Buckland records that 

 the late Duke of Wellington invented an apparatus of india-rubber bands by 

 which the Dace is held secure to the hook. The length rarely exceeds eight 

 fo ten inches; and may reach a weight of one pound. It is found in most of 

 the large rivers of England, but is not recorded from Scotland or Ireland. 



The best known variety in England is the Graii/i////, for which Yarrell used 

 the name Lenciscns lancastriensis ; it is distinguished by a smaller head, which 

 is one-sixth of the length, while the depth is one-fifth of the length. The 

 nose is rounder ; the scales are rather larger than those of the Dace, with a 

 greater vertical diameter, and fewer radiating rays. '^J'he fins are a little 

 longer, and the upper parts of the body are a pale drab, tinged with bluish-red, 

 and sharply defined from the paler-coloured lower part of the body. All the 

 fins are pale yellowish-white. 



In France the varieties which have been distinguished are more numerous. 

 Blanch ard describes a fish which has the aspect and colour of a Roach, found 

 in the lake Mariscot, near Biarritz, which in the ])haryngeal teeth and rays of 

 Ihe dorsal fin more resembles the Dace. The body is more compressed than in 

 typical Dace, and the back hig-her. This variety is named Lcnci-tcns hearnonix, 

 Blanchard. Another variety, found in the Garonne, distinguished by 

 Valenciennes as L. /jiir(Hff(i/eiisi.s,\\^^ the head less obtuse and more elongated 

 than in the common Dace. The dorsal fin is black, and the fins of the lower 

 part of the body are orange at the base. 



In Switzerland ;md North Ciermanv the varieties meri>e in each other, so 



