174 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



caries, being there noted to be very medicinable against 

 the stone in the reins. These be a part of the com- 

 mendations which some philosophical brains have 

 bestowed upon the fresh-water perch ; yet they commend 

 the sea-perch, which is known by having but one fin on 

 his back, of which, they say, we English see but a few, 

 to be a much better fish. 



The perch grows slowly, yet will grow, as I have 

 been credibly informed, to be almost two foot long ; 

 for an honest informer told me such a one was not long 

 since taken by Sir Abraham Williams, a gentleman of 

 worth, and a brother of the angle, that yet lives, and I 

 wish he may : this was a deep bodied fish, and doubtless 

 durst have devoured a pike of half his own length ; 

 for I have told you he is a bold fish, such a one as, but 

 for extreme hunger, the pike will not devour ; for to 

 affright the pike, and save himself, the perch will set up 

 his fins, much like as a turkey-cock will sometimes set 

 up his tail. 



But, my scholar, the perch is not only valiant to 

 defend himself, but he is, as I said, a bold-biting fish, 

 yet he will not bite at all seasons of the year ; he is 

 very abstemious in winter, yet will bite then in the 

 midst of the day, if it be warm : and note, that all fish 

 bite best about the midst of a warm day in winter, and 

 he hath been observed by some not usually to bite till 

 the mulberry-tree buds, that is to say, till extreme 

 frosts be past the spring, for when the mulberry-tree 

 blossoms many gardeners observe their forward fruit to 

 be past the danger of frosts, and some have made the 

 like observation of the perch's biting. 



But bite the perch will, and that very boldly : and as 

 one has wittily observed, if there be twenty or forty in 

 a hole, they may be at one standing all catched one 

 after another, they being, as he says, like the wicked of 

 the world, not afraid, though their fellows and com- 



