158 THE PERCH. 



of nearly as large dimensions at the house of the late Oliver Colt, 

 Esq. at Roundhams in Hampshire, that was taken in the river Test, 

 near his residence. Mr. Donovan in his history of British fishes re- 

 cords one of five pounds weight taken in Bala lake. Mr. Hunt of 

 Brades, near Dudley, Staffordshire, took a perch of six pounds from 

 the Birmingham Canal. Montagu once saw a perch of feight 

 pounds weight taken out of the Wiltshire Avon : and Mr. Yarrell 

 mentions that a perch of eight pounds was once taken in Dagen- 

 ham breach. Pennant also records his having heard of one that 

 was taken in the Serpentine that weighed upwards of nine pounds ; 

 but as the latter authority rests only on hearsay, and the elaborate 

 zoologist might have been misinformed, it is not entitled to much 

 weight. 



J myself have been informed of grayling that have attained the 

 same size, but as fishermen occasionally see with magnifying eyes, 

 and weigh their fish with no other scales, I have been fearful in 

 consequence of reporting hearsays, except when coming from 

 credible and competent witnesses. 



Bloch, however, a pretty safe authority, assures us that the head 

 of a perch is preserved at Luehlah, in Lapland, of a foot in length. 

 Surely then if the men are insignificant in Lapland the fishes at 

 least are mighty : a five foot Laplander being a very giant amongst 

 his race, and yet this fish as compared to our perch must have 

 been a monster indeed; as the proportionate length of a perch, as 

 compared to his body in ordinary specimens, is as two to seven : 

 so that this fish must have been nearly three feet and a half long ; 

 what his probable weight must have been I leave wiser heads than 

 mine to determine 



Perch, as we have before observed, are remarkably tenacious of 

 life, and Mr. Yarrell informs us that in Roman Catholic countries 

 they are frequently transported alive over the land for forty or 

 fifty miles, being watered occasionally : when if not sold the ill 

 fated captives are again returned to the place from whence they 

 .came, to be reproduced on another day. 



But notwithstanding the perch is of so hale and hardy a consti- 

 tution, it frequently whilst young falls a victim to fishes of prey 

 particularly to the pike, who, however he may stand in awe of the 

 spines of the more mature of the species, cares little for the 

 prickles of the juveniles, whom he crushes without pity or remorse 

 between his jaws, and then swallows them head foremost; and 



