CHAPTER X 



Observations of the Bream, and Directions to Catch him. 



ISC. The Bream, being at a full growth, is a large 

 and stately fish : he will breed both in rivers and 

 ponds ; but loves best to live in ponds, and 

 where, if he likes the water and air, he will grow 

 not only to be very large, but as fat as a hog : he 

 is by Gesner taken to be more pleasant or sweet 

 than wholesome : this fish is long in growing, 

 but breeds exceedingly in a water that pleases him : yea, in many 

 ponds so fast as to overstore them, and starve the other fish. 



He is very broad, with a forked tail, and his scales set in excellent 

 order; he hath large eyes, and a narrow sucking mouth; he hath 

 two sets of teeth, and a lozenge-like bone, a bone to help his grind- 

 ing. The melter is observed to have two large melts ; and the 

 female two large bags of eggs or spawn. 



Gesner reports, that in Poland a certain and a great number of 

 large breams were put into a pond, which in the next following winter 

 were frozen up into one entire ice, and not one drop of water remain- 



169 M 



