HABITS OF THE BREAM. 



309 



warm weather. The tench is said to be an aquatic 

 apothecary a leech that cures with its slime the 

 wounds of other fish. The pike in consequence 

 respects this submarine Machaon. Gratitude, 

 therefore, is the pike's one virtue, linked with a 

 thousand crimes. 



THE BHEAM. Cyprinus Brama. 



This broad olivaceous carp grows to a very 

 large size in such rivers as the Ouse and the 

 Oundle. Bream are an exceedingly coarse fish, 

 but they bite freely in warm, gloomy, windy 

 weather, and a warm, drizzling rain sharpens their 

 appetites. A small red worm is the best bait for 

 them in the spring ; in summer, gentles and sal- 

 mon-roe. They rise freely at natural flies, par- 

 ticularly the house-fly, bluebottle, and stone-fly, 

 and in the evening at the various sorts of moths. 



