60 LETTERS TO MARCO x 



of their tails. These big chub vary in colour 

 a good deal, but all have large white mouths 

 and dark tails. They seem to exercise 

 caution, and never take the bread at once, 

 rising and looking at it two or three times 

 first before they make up their minds. 



When the long ribbon-like water-grass 

 is fully grown, if on a sunny day you look 

 down into it you will presently become aware 

 of a large shoal of roach feeding ; they do 

 not show at first very distinctly, but in the 

 twist they give when breaking off pieces of 

 the weed, their beautiful orange fins and 

 silvery sides attract immediate attention. 

 They feed or browse very like a herd of 

 cows. At times one may be seen floating 

 head downwards, and all are very tranquil 

 in their enjoyment of the sun. When alarmed 

 they seem to vanish rather than dart away, 

 hiding, I suppose, in the thick of the weeds ; 

 in a few moments they will appear again a 

 short distance off. Predatory fish like perch 

 or pike do not congregate, but are gener- 



