TI1E DACE. 105 



and real courage, as distinct from mere dash and splash, above its broad- 

 headed congener. The comparison, however, to a great extent, fails from 

 the fact that but few dace attain the size at which Leudscus cephalus 

 (the chub) begins to develop its fighting powers. It is rare to find a dace 

 over a pound in weight. I took one from the old Windsor water, which 

 went 13oz., in the beginning of the year 1877, but the size is remarkably 

 exceptional. It was taken, barbel fishing, with leger and lobworm. 

 Dace do not seem to thrive in still water. The food of the dace, in its 

 natural state, consists of nearly all water insects, whether crustacean or 

 annelidan, and its marvellous quickness and precision enable it to 

 seize its prey with instantaneous facility. I have been much amused, 

 on more than one occasion, when watching a dace, by its movements 

 in search or in anticipation of food. Like the chub, it will now and then 

 secede from the general usages of its own fishy society, and solitarily 

 hold watch and ward behind some shelving covert. Thence it occa- 

 sionally, like a flash of green light, darts on its prey, and woe to the 

 tiny water flea or ephemeral fly within reach or sight. And again, I 

 have been interested in the patient aspect of a dace, evidently waiting 

 the emergence of the stonefly from its barky covering, or the cad bait 

 from its beautiful house of coloured pebbles and tiny fresh-water 

 molluscs. 



The name dace has not a very traceable origin. It is sometimes also 

 termed the dare. Thus Michael Dray ton 



The pretty slender dare, of many called the dace. 



It is termed daas in Dutch, dard in French, and darden in Welsh. In 

 some parts of England it is also termed the dart, probably in reference to 

 the swift speedy motion of the fish. Dray ton says : 



Of swiftly as he swims his silver belly shows, 

 But with such nimble flight ere ye can disclose 

 His shape, out of your sight like lightning he is shot. 



At any rate, whatever the origin of its name, it is a miniature salmon 

 in symmetry and sporting power. 



The appropriate transition from the food of a fish is to its capture ; and, 

 although in the generality of cases it is impossible to closely follow the 

 natural food of a fish, yet in regard to the specimen before us it is quite 

 asy to catch it with its own regular diet. Fly fishing with the 

 artificial fly in the shallows in late summer is a very fascinating 

 method of capture, and has the merit of requiring considerable skill for its 

 successful practice. The hand must respond instantaneously to the eye 

 in striking on a rise, for the dace, as I have before said, seizes its food 



