CARP-BREAIM. 



337 



Daniel, in liis Rural Sports, refers to a pleasant day 

 of Bream-fisliing at New Hall Pond in Essex. " The 

 weather was cloudy, and the wind brisk : there were seven 

 rods used by the party, and very frequently there were bites 

 at thcni all at the same time. When a fish Avas hooked, 

 and played on the top or near the surface of the water, 

 numbers were seen to follow him, and so soon as the hooks 

 were fresh baited, were alike greedily taken. Some few 

 Perch and Tench were caught, but principally Bream, which 

 averaged at least two pounds a fish ; and of these, from 

 six in the morning till dark in the evening, some hundred 

 wxight were taken. The bait used was the large red worm, 

 and the spot had been baited on the morning and evening- 

 previous to the day of fishing : the ground-bait used w^as 

 boiled wheat and tallow-melters' greaves mixed together." 



In some of the lakes of Ireland great quantities of Bream 

 are taken, many of them of very large size, sometimes 

 weighing as much as twelve or even fourteen pounds each. 

 A place conveniently situated for the fishing is baited with 

 grains or other coarse food for ten days or a fortnight regu- 

 larly, after which great sport is usually obtained. The 

 party frequently catch several hundred weight, which are 

 distributed among the poor of the vicinity, who split and 

 dry them with great care to eat with their potatoes. The 

 Bream, as food, is best in season in spring and autumn. 



As the fish next to be described after the present Bream 

 is a species of Bream new to the British catalogue, I shall 

 follow the example of Cuvier, in describing the first closely, 

 and when describing the second, to point out more particu- 

 larly the differential characters. 



The w'hole length of the fish was five inches ; a small 

 one was chosen in order to contrast it the better with the 

 specimen of the White Bream which follows : the lengtli 



VOL. 1. z 



