THE KOACH. Ill 



Highley), in preference to a shaded engraving indicating colour. If the 

 reader will fill in on the accompanying cut the description of Yarrell, he 

 will have the fish well before him. " The colour," says the author, " of 

 the upper part of the head and back is dusky (often bright) green, 

 with blue reflections, becoming lighter on the sides, and passing into 

 silvery white on the belly ; the irides yellow, cheeks and gill covers silvery 

 white, dorsal and caudal fins pale brown, tinged with red ; pectoral fins 

 orange red, ventrals and anal bright red." The scales are rather large 

 and marked with consecutive and radiating lines (as shown in the small 

 drawing). 



Leuciscus rutilus is gregarious, and not only does he seek the company 

 of his own species, but may be often found promiscuously mixed up 

 with a shoal of barbel, especially if the latter be small. The most com- 

 pact swarms of this fish, however, are to be met with in the winter 

 during mild days, when they may be said to be in the most perfect con- 

 dition. The spawning season is usually about June, and it takes quite 

 six weeks for them to regain condition. They spawn in the weeds 

 flanking the shore, and the ova are very numerous. As many as 125,000 

 eggs have been counted in the ovarium of a fib. fish. Like carp, they 

 are at this season subject to fatal disorders. I have more than once 

 witnessed roach die from retention of the ova, brought about by the 

 weakening agency of the tapeworm (Ligula digra/mma) or the ravages of 

 some other equally dangerous internal parasite. In lakes in which these 

 fish abound it is usual to find these fish in the season of spawning crowd- 

 ing and jostling each other at the very edge of the water, as if desirous 

 of getting on the dry land. They may then be taken very easily. 

 Herons and other fish eating birds make a great harvest at this period. 



Apropos of this branch of the subject, I recall a rather interesting 

 episode which occurred whilst I was attentively watching the jostling 

 and crowding above referred to of the spawning fish, and which may 

 be of interest to my readers, although somewhat aside from the 

 subject. I had been watching the fish in countless numbers crowd- 

 ing the margin of the lake, when my attention was directed from them 

 by the cautious and circumspect movements of an old stalwart 

 grey-bearded rat of enormous size. This gentleman was also carefully 

 watching the roach with glistening eyes, and slowly approaching by side- 

 long movements the edge of the water. Some sticks and stones and 

 various debris lay strewn about, and amongst this the rodent moved, 

 hiding himself as he approached. I remained perfectly still. At last, 

 with a sudden splash, as quick as thought, he had dashed in the water, 

 and was again on the bank, with a roach of about seven inches long 

 in his mouth. The movement was so quick that the shoal seemed 



