THE YELLOW PERCH 315 



The food of the young perch at first consists entirely of 

 small, delicate crustaceans, such as Cyclops and its allies; 

 from the time the perch are about an inch and a half in length 

 they begin to add insects to the bill of fare. Adult perch have 

 a still more varied diet, consisting of the larger crustaceans, 

 mollusks, and other fishes. The young are gregarious, and 

 those of about the same size tend to keep together, so that 

 every farmer boy knows his chances of catching "a big one" 

 are small indeed when he has his hook in a swarm of little 

 fishes. He has, however, this consolation, that the supply 

 of the one size is likely to last ; for 



Perch, like the Tartar clans, in troops remove, 

 And, urged by famine or by pleasure, rove ; 

 But if one prisoner, as in war, you seize, 

 You '11 prosper, master of the camp, with ease 

 For, like the wicked, unalarmed they view 

 Their fellows perish, and their path pursue. 



OPPIAN, Halieutica. 



