71 



in some estimation, they do not appear to be as highly prized by the moderns as 

 by the ancients ; if we are to believe Krunitz, Heliogabalus invented a fricasee of 

 carp's tongues. Krunitz was, however, mistaken, the tongues were those of 

 peacocks and nightingales. Blooh asserts they have no tongue. So does Aristotle. 

 Athenaeus says they have a tongue, but that it lies in the upper part of the mouth 

 or palate. The fact is, the palate of the carp is a thick, soft substance, even now 

 vulgarly called "carp's tongue " ; and certainly it is the most dainty part of the 

 fish. 



Of the rest of this genus, with the exception of the tench, which resembles the 

 common carp in its habits, it is composed of unimportant races, such as roach, 

 dace, gudgeons, loaches, and minnows. The loach is nevertheless remarkable in 

 the want of union in the two parietal bones at the upper part of the head — 

 she\ving a structural relation between fish and reptiles. 



Of the true perches (percidae) I am not aware that we have more than one in 

 this county — the common perch. The ruffe, or pope, is abundant in many rivers, 

 and may be found here, though I have not met with it. We have, however, the 

 stickleback, which is of another family of this cl^s. 



The Wye is celebrated for tlie size and e.tcellence of its perch. I have seen 

 four, taken the same day in the salmon nets, weighing together sixteen pounds. 



These fish were well known to the ancients, and described by Aristotle. It 

 is curious that a word, derived from its Greek name, and closely resembling it in 

 sound, should be its common appellation in miny countries. Thus, its Greek 

 name was perkfe (wfpKTi) ; its Roman, perca ; its Italian is pergesa ; its French, la 

 perche ; its Prussian, perscke ; and its English, perch. 



Fish will bear wonderful extremes of temperature without sustaining any 

 apparent injury. In Bushman's "Introduction to the Study of Nature," we are told 

 that perch have been frozen — transported in that state considerable distances — 

 replaced in water near a fire and recovered. If fish can endure great cold, some 

 genera can also bear great heat. According to Saussure, both fish and infusoria 

 are found in the hot springs of Aise, in Savoy, at a temperature of 113° Fahrenheit. 

 Desfontaines and Shaw observed several kinds of fish in the hot waters of Cafsa, 

 in Barbary ; temperature 80° Fahrenheit. (Many years ago I verified the fact of 

 the existence of infusoria in the hot springs of Savoy ; and a gentleman who was 

 with me, pronounced them to be of the second order — the leucophora. ) 



If fish can, uninjured, sustain these violent extremes of temperature, not less 

 can their eggs continue their vitality, under the most remarkable vicissitudes. 

 The tanks of India are dried up during the hot season, and every fish, of course, 

 destroyed ; but soon after the commencement of the rainy season, the tanks are 

 replenished, not only with water, but with fish. Though many fantastical reasons 

 are assigned for so strange a phenomenon, the only rational explanation seems to 

 be that the ova of the former season, remaining dormant during the drought, 

 were hatched on the recurrence of water, though continuing dry for many months. 



