THE BLEAK. 69 



small forest lakes or tarns, where the strand is grassy and 

 the bottom of clay. 



From the comparatively small size of this fish, it is not 

 much sought after for the table ; but when fried, it is, as 

 I myself can testify, no despicable dish. 



In France, the so-called " Essence de FOrient," with which 

 glass imitation pearls are coloured, is concocted out of the 

 scales of this fish. 



In my vicinity the bleak spawned in June and July. A 

 shallow with a stony or sandy bottom, or, in preference, 

 among fallen boughs, is usually selected. Here the fish 

 collect in such dense shoals, as to form dark masses in 

 the water. During the continuance of the lek, the entire 

 shoal at intervals leap simultaneously into the air, and 

 in their descent lash the surface with their tails, which 

 occasions a noise exactly resembling that of tearing 

 asunder a piece of fine cloth. It frequently happens that 

 many of the fish when thus disporting themselves, fall upon 

 dry land, where they become the prey of birds and vermin. 



The bleak is said to have three several leks, though with 

 longer or shorter intervals between them, according to the 

 state of the weather. The old fish always lek first, and 

 the youngest and smallest of all the last. The eggs are 

 deposited amongst stones, boughs, &c. The fry are soon 

 hatched, and grow quickly. The bleak never attains to more 

 than seven or eight inches in length. 



The Minnow (Hund-gadda ; Elriza, Sw. ; C. Phoxinus, 

 Linn.) was abundant with us, as also, I believe, throughout 

 Scandinavia. 



It spawned in the end of June or in July. The lek usually 

 lasts from two to three days. The head of the male at this 



