86 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



of a charr or vermilion. This extraordinary fish, after having been 

 inspected by many gentlemen, was carefully pnt into a pond, and at the 

 time this account was written, twelve months afterwards, was alive 

 and well." The usual size does not, however, exceed 3|lb. 



The food of the tench is very similar to that of the carp. It lives on 

 vegetable matter and small water insects, which it does not disdain 

 in some cases to rout up from the mud. 



The title of "physician of fishes" has been given to tench, and 

 the qualities which render the title just seem to lie at the root of the 

 immunity it experiences at the hands (or mouth) of the pike. Accord- 

 ing to both ancient and modern authorities, the thick slime with 

 which it is covered effects a salutary influence on both itself and 

 compeers. Out of a hundred instances on record where their 

 JEsculapian influence has been manifested, it is sufficient to cite one. 

 Mr. Wright, in his book on "Fishes and Fishing," thus states the 

 case : 



" A gentleman, who was unfortunately unable to leave the house for 

 some time through an accident, amused himself by making small arti- 

 ficial flies, which he did very neatly. He kept some minnows and a 

 tench, about 2in. long, in a very large wide-mouth bottle ; all the 

 minnows had died except one. My friend was just finishing a fly as I 

 went into his room, and he held it upon the surface of the water in the 

 bottle, as he was often in the habit of doing. The minnow darted at 

 it so rapidly that he could not withdraw the fly in time to prevent the 

 hook from pricking the minnow. The little fish descended three parts 

 of the way down the bottle, poised himself for a moment, with his nose 

 pointing downwards, then swiftly went the remainder of the way, rubbed 

 his nose, during a few seconds, against the side of the tench, and again 

 swam about as lively as before. We both joined in the opinion that it is 

 really no fable as to the tench being the JEsculapius of fishes, for here 

 was an example before our eyes of a fish being wounded, and immediately 

 instinct directing him to seek a remedy." 



Camden, also, in the " Britannica," when speaking of the fish- 

 stews of Southwark, says : " I have seen the bellies of pikes which 

 have been rent open have their gaping wounds presently closed by the 

 touch of tenches, and by his glutinous slime perfectly healed up." 



In consequence of this benignant quality, the pike refrains, be he never 

 so hungry, to make a meal of the tench. Fitzgibbon, Hofland, Salter, 

 Hollinshed, Walton, Oppian all concur in believing this. If it really 

 be a fact and, in my own experience, I have no reason to doubt it 

 the pike has, at least, one virtue, seldom found, indeed, even in 

 humanity namely, gratitude. Mr. Pennell says : " I procured some small 



