THE PERCH. 195 



Francis, however, says : " Where they are at all fished, 

 there are few fish more capricious or careful in biting 

 than large perch ; small ones may often be taken in 

 numbers, but not so when they gain experience." 



A perch in season is a very beautiful fish. It has a 

 bright olive-green back, with its lighter sides tinged with 

 yellowish-golden pink, and getting brighter below. The 

 transverse dark bands, so characteristic, set off the rest ; 

 there are generally five, but occasionally six are found, 

 the first commencing below the first spine of the first 

 dorsal fin, and the sixth if it is present is just in front 

 of the tail. The first dorsal fin is greyish-brown with two 

 black spots ; the second dorsal is light brown, the pectoral 

 fin brown ; other fins of a bright vermilion. The irides 

 are of a golden-yellow. 



The perch has three caecal appendages. The intestinal 

 tract is the length of the fish without the tail. The air- 

 bladder is large and simple, and thin in texture. The 

 number of fin-rays are as follows: First dorsal, 15, all 

 spinous; second dorsal, 14, I spinous; pectoral, 14; ventral, 

 6, I spinous; anal, IO, 2 spinous; caudal, 17. 



Deformed varieties of this fish are at times met with. 

 Linnaeus tells us of a hunch-backed perch found in Sweden, 

 which goes by the name of Rudaborre. Pennant mentions 

 one of the same kind in Cheshire, and Yarrell states that 

 similar perch are found in Llyn Raithlyn, in Merioneth- 

 shire, also mentioned by Pennant and Daniel, some of 

 these deformed fish being above 2 Ibs. in weight. Daniel 

 also says that at Malham Water, not far from Settle, in 

 Yorkshire, the perch grow to 5 Ibs. and upwards, but that 

 these large fish are all blind with one or both eyes. 



Perch are very sluggish in cold weather, and are sup- 

 posed to be injuriously affected by thunder and by frost. 

 When spring sets in, or even in February if mild, they 

 become more active, and will bite freely at almost any bait. 

 It is stated on good authority that a perch has been taken 

 with a hook baited with its own eye. Moses Browne says 

 that "the curious remark, he seldom bites till the mulberry- 

 tree buds, and until extreme frosts are passed." 



