THE BLEAK. 227 



It is less bright, its abdomen silvery, and its fins white." 

 Mr. Pennell found in some ponds near Romford, in Essex, 

 a lemon or yellow coloured variety of the rudd. 



THE BLEAK. 



The BLEAK has been removed into a genus of itself, 

 under the name of Alburnus. The scientific name was 

 formerly Leuciscus alburnus. It is now Alburnus lucidus. 



THE BLEAK. 



This well-known fish, so abundant in many rivers, is 

 much used as a bait in spinning, for either trout or pike. 

 It is generally from five to seven inches in length; dace-like 

 in form, but immediately distinguishable from the back- 

 ward position of the dorsal fin and the greater length of the 

 base of the anal. The colour of the back is a bluish-silver, 

 tinged with green ; very silvery sides ; eyes silvery, tinged 

 with yellow ; all the fins whitish. 



Fin-rays are: dorsal, 10 11; pectoral, 1617; ventral, 

 910; anal, 19-23; caudal, 19. 



The bleak spawns in May and June. 



The name Bleak is supposed to be derived from the 

 Saxon word Bteage, or German Blick, Blicken to shine. It 

 is also called Blick, signifying to bleach ; it has likewise 

 a number of local names, as Blaze, Blay, Willow-Blade, 

 Ablet, Fresh- Water Sprat. In France it is called LAblette 

 Commune. It is not found in Scotland or Ireland. 



The scales of the bleak were formerly used for making 

 false pearls, a discovery of a Monsieur Jaquin, who kept 

 his secret for a very long time. The scales of two hundred 

 and fifty of these fish will not weigh more than an ounce, 

 and these will not yield more than a fourth of that weight 



