THE CHUB. 61 



morsel of bread steeped in alcohol placed in his mouth. 

 This is a plan successfully practised in some parts of 

 France. 



There are said to be three or four varieties of bream in 

 the waters of the Seine. The fishermen in that river give 

 the name of " Henriots" to the young fry, and that of 

 " B remotes" to the middle-sized fish. 



Bloch says, " This fish is little esteemed; and still less 

 when he has been taken out of muddy waters, which give 

 him a most detestable flavour." 



Perchance the receipt for cooking tench might enable a 

 very hungry school-boy to swallow a morsel or two; but 

 even then, perhaps, it would be necessary to abandon both 

 sight and recollection. 



OTfwb Ha OTjjebanne. 



The CHUB is a strong, compact, but rather clumsily 

 built fish, well adapted to afford capital sport to the angler; 

 but is a very miserable affair in the hands of the cook. 

 Walton gives a receipt which he says will make him 

 eatable, but who will be at the trouble of trying it? The 

 French, who understand this department as well as, or 

 perhaps better, than any other people under the sun, pro- 

 nounce him a villanous fish; and they are most certainly 

 right. His flesh is woolly and watery, and has a nasty 

 sweetness about it which is absolutely nauseous. Perhaps 

 the best mode of serving up the chub, would be to imitate 

 the Irish manager's method of performing Hamlet send 

 up the richest receipt you can get, hot and piquante, 

 omitting the fish ! 



The chub spawns about the time of Easter, and is 

 probably very prolific. His eggs, which are yellow, and 

 about the size of a grain of poppy seed, are deposited on 



