256 MODERN PRACTICAL ANGLER, 



By bearing these points in mind the angler need never 

 be fti doubt as to which species he has in his creel. 



When first caught I should unhesitatingly award to 

 the Rudd the palm for mere brilliancy of colouring over 

 all other British freshwater fish. The reddish gold, 

 which is the prevailing body-colour, varies in the varying 

 shades of light ; the eyes and fins are tinted different 

 shades of crimson and orange-scarlet, whilst the gill- 

 covers and sides are of a rich golden yellow. From 

 these peculiarities of colouring it is unnecessary to say 

 that it derives its name. Its specific appellation, eryihrop- 

 thalimis (from the Greek, erythros^ red, and opJuJialmos, 

 the eye), has a similar origin. 



I was so fortunate, a few years ago, as to discover in 

 some ponds near Romford, Essex, a lemon or yellow- 

 coloured variety of the Rudd. In this fish, of which I 

 took several dozen, all the red tints of the Rudd, even 

 including its characteristic red eyes (or more correctly, 

 irides), were replaced by various tints of lemon and 

 bright yellow, the larger the fish, the deeper being the 

 yellow colouring. The specimens — of which some are 

 now in the British Museum — present other, and in 

 some points structural difTerences. 



In their natural habitats the Roach and Rudd difiler, 

 inasmuch as whilst the former species thrive and abound 

 equally in ponds and rivers, the latter are comparatively 

 confined to waters of a stagnant character, or lagoon-like 

 expanses connected by rivers, like some of the Norfolk 



