514 FISHES. 



It is a gregarious fish, and loves deep holes and gentle streams. 

 It is a most voracious fish, and eager biter; if the angler meets 

 with a shoal of them, he is sure of taking every one. 



It is a common notion that the pike will not attack this fish, 

 being fearful of the spiny fins which the perch erects on the ap- 

 proach of the former. This may be true in respect to large fish ; 

 but it is well known the small ones are the most tempting bait that 

 can be laid for the pike. 



The perch is a fish very tenacious of life : we have known Inom 

 carried near sixty miles in dry straw, and yet s.urvive the journey. 



These fish seldom grow to a large size : we once heard of on/ 

 that was taken in the Serpentine River, Hyde Park, that weighed 

 nine pounds ; but that is very uncommon. 



The body is deep ; the scales very rough ; the back much arched ; 

 side-line near the back. 



The irides golden ; the teeth small, disposed on the jaws and on 

 the roof of the mouth ; the edges of the covers of the gills ser- 

 rated ; on the lower end of the largest is a sharp spine. 



The first dorsal fin consists of fourteen strong spiny rays ; the 

 second of sixteen soft ones ; the pectoral fins are transparent, and 

 consist of fourteen rays ; the ventral of six ; the anal of eleven. 



The tail is a little forked. 



The colours are beautiful ; the back and part of the sides being 

 of a deep green, marked with five broad black bars pointing down- 

 wards ; the belly is white, tinged with red ; the ventral fins of a 

 rich scarlet ; and the anal fins and tail of the same colour, but ra. 

 ther paler. 



In a lake called Llyn Raithlyn, in Merionethshire, is a very sin- 

 gular variety of perch ; the back is quite hunched, and the lower 

 part of the back-bone next to the tail, strangely distorted ; in co- 

 lour, and in other respects, it resembles the common kind, which 

 are as numerous in t he laks as these deformed fish. They are not 

 peculiar to this water; for Linnaeus takes notice of a similar va- 

 riety found at Fahlun, in his own country. I have also heard that 

 it is to be met with in the Thames, near Marlow. 



[Pennant. 



There is one species possessing a very singular power, we mean, 

 theperca scanderns, or climbing perch 3 which is capable, like some 



