92 THE SPORTING FISH 



assurance that there really were fish in the pond, 

 he put his tackle together and adjusted a bait. It 

 had hardly touched the water before he hooked 

 and landed a fine Perch ; another and another fol- 

 lowed, and by the time his friend came to summon 

 him to dinner he had thirty-five fish in his basket. 

 "Well," said his host, " I am glad you have had 

 such sport ; I caused three dozen to be put in the 

 day before yesterday." " Indeed ?" was the reply, 

 — "then I will go back and catch the thirty-sixth 

 after dinner." 



Though attaining their greatest perfection in 

 clear, sharp streams. Perch thrive well on clayey 

 or sandy bottoms, preferring generally a water of 

 a moderate depth and current, and frequenting 

 holes, mill-dams, hollow banks, and, in summer, 

 the under-currents of weirs. In winter their fa- 

 vourite haunts are back-waters and eddies ; and at 

 this time of the year they feed best about the 

 middle of the day, more particularly if bright and 

 warm. They usually swim in large shoals. Their 

 spawning season is at the end of April or the be- 

 ginning of May ; and so prolific are they, that a 

 specimen weighing half a pound has been found to 

 contain 280,000 ova. The eggs are deposited in 

 strings which hang about the weeds and rocks, and 

 when seen through a bright sunlight present a 

 beautiful appearance almost resembling festoons 

 of pearls. 



Of the Perch family only two fresh-water species 



