250 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART 



CHAPTER XII. 



Observations of the PEARCH, and Directions how to 

 Jlsh for him. 



PISCATOR. 



THE Pearcli is a very good, and a very bold-biting 

 fish. He is one of the fishes of prey that, like the Pike 

 and Trout, carries his teeth in his mouth which is very 

 large : and he dare venture to kill arid devour several 

 other kinds of fish. He has a hook'd or hog back, 

 which is armed with sharp and stiff bristles ; and, all his 

 skin armed, or covered-over, with thick dry hard scales; 

 and hath, which few other fish have, two fins on his 

 back. He is so bold, that he will invade one of his own 

 kind, which the Pike will not do so willingly ; and you 

 may, therefore, easily believe him to be a bold-biter. 



The Pearch is of great esteem in Italy, saith Aldro- 

 vandus : and especially the least are there esteemed a 

 dainty dish. And Gesner prefers the Pearch and Pike 

 above the Trout, or any fresh-water fish : he says the 

 Germans have this proverb, " More wholesome than a 

 <c Pearch of Rhine :" and he says the River-Pearch is 

 so wholesome, that physicians allow him to be eaten by 

 wounded men, or by men in fevers, or by women in 

 child-bed. 



He spawns but once a year. And is, by physicians, 

 held very nutritive, yet, by many, to be hard of di- 

 gestion. They abound more in the river Po, and in 

 England, (says Rondeletius,) than other parts : and 

 have in their brain a stone which is, in foreign parts, 

 sold by apothecaries; being there noted to be very me- 

 dicinable against the stone in the reins. These be a 



