198 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



roughness of its denticulated scales ; hence also its name 

 of Ruffe. Daniel (" Rural Sports ") says the river Yare, 

 in Norfolk, affords, perhaps, the greatest plenty. The 

 pope, like the perch, is gregarious, assembling in large 

 shoals and keeping in the deepest part of the water. It 

 is a free biter, but never grows to any size ; seldom above 

 seven inches in length. Daniel says : " The ruffe, for its 

 delicacy and richness of its flavour, as well as for its 

 being considered very nourishing, is more admired than 

 the perch ; " and Blane says ruffe forms a good table treat 

 broiled in buttered paper. Although it somewhat re- 

 sembles the perch, it can be at once distinguished from 

 that fish by the dorsal fin being continuous, the eye being 

 brown, with a blue pupil, whereas in the perch the dorsal 

 fin is divided into two, as it were, and the eye is yellow. 

 The prevailing colour of the upper part of the body and 

 head is olive-brown, yellowish-brown on the sides, silvery- 

 white lower down ; the lateral line prominent and strongly 

 marked ; a pearly-green tinge over the gill-cover ; small 

 brown spots are spread over the back, dorsal fin, and tail, 

 being somewhat like bars in the latter. The other fins are 

 pale brown. 



Fin-rays: pectoral, 1314; ventral, 6, I spinous ; dorsal, 

 26, 14 spinous; anal, 7, 2 spinous; caudal, 17-18. 



Day states that " a cruel custom obtains near Windsor, 

 on the Thames, of pressing a cork tightly down on to the 

 spines of the dorsal fin, and subsequently the fish is re- 

 turned to the river." This is termed " plugging a pope," 

 the origin of which is unknown. In some localities the 

 fish is called a Jack Ruffe, in others Tommy Bass; the 

 French call it La Gremille Commune. 



THE BASSE. 



The BASSE (Labrax lupus; genus, Labrax}. Although 

 we can hardly call the basse a fresh- water fish, yet at 

 certain seasons it ascends a considerable way up some 

 of our rivers and estuaries, and affords capital sport to 

 the rod-fisher. This fish was well known to the ancients. 



