COMMON PERCH. 277 



THE COMMON PERCH. 



The perch is a gregarious fish, commonly taking up its 

 residence in deep holes and gently-flowing streams. It is 

 extremely voracious ; and bites with such avidity, that, if 

 the angler chances to find a shoal, he seldom fails to catch 

 numbers. It has been commonly supposed that the pike 

 will not attack this fish, for fear of its thorny spines, which 

 it erects on the approach of danger ; but, though this may 

 be true with respect to the larger individuals, it is well 

 known that small ones offer the most alluring bait that can 

 be laid for the pike. 



The body of the perch is deep, the scales are extremely 

 rough, and the back is much arched. The colours are ex- 

 quisitely beautiful ; the back and part of the sides being of 

 a deep green, marked with five broad black bars, pointing 

 downwards ; the belly white, tinged with red ; the ventral 

 fins of a rich scarlet ; and the anal fin and the tail of the 

 same hue, but somewhat fainter. 



There is a singular variety of this fish, the back of which 

 is quite hunched, and the lower part of the back-bone 

 strongly distorted ; but in other respects exactly resem- 

 bling the common kind. This variety has been caught in 

 a lake of Merionethshire, and also in the Thames, near 

 Marlow. 



The perch is extremely tenacious of life ; having been 

 frequently carried fifty or sixty miles in dry straw, and 

 survived the journey. It seldom exceeds three pounds in 

 weight, but some few have been caught of more than six 

 pounds. It affords a most excellent diversion for the angler, 

 between the beginning of spring and midsummer. It 

 bites best when the weather is cloudy, but may be caught 

 at any time of the day. 



The perch was much admired by the ancient Romans, 

 nor is it in less estimation at present, as a firm and delicate 

 fish. The Dutch are particularly fond of it, when made 

 into a dish called water-souchy, which is now introduced 

 into this country. 



