BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 



pools. Whilst the young of this species closely resemble 

 those of the White or Silver Bream, the adults are dis- 

 tinguished by the brownish or greenish colouration, 

 relieved with a metallic sheen on the sides of the body; 

 and blackish on the fins. It is a social species, and 

 large shoals move about in company. Some very old 

 Bream used to frequent the surface of a small lake in 

 which I have had rare sport in days gone by, and on a hot 

 Summer's day it was most annoying to observe these 

 big fellows, grey with age, sunning themselves for hours 

 on end, whilst I was patiently waiting for a bite. Nothing 

 would tempt them, and although we caught a great many 

 other fish in the same stretch of water, so far as I re- 

 member we never succeeded in landing one of these 

 8 to 10 pounders. That this fish is both cunning and 

 shy, especially when it has attained any size, I can 

 personally testify. Food and spawning time resemble 

 those of the last-named, and at the latter season there is a 

 great deal of display. Various hybrids occur between 

 Bream and other species, but it is unnecessary to give 

 details of these here. 



Bleak ^^^ -=0^ Fl5 5-0 



Bleak.— -^/6//r«M^ lucidus (Fig. 53). This small fish 

 makes amends for its diminutiveness by its engaging 



98 



