68 BOTTOM OR FLOAT-FISHING. 



shoals to collect under the shelter of a sunken 

 punt, or other tidal obstruction, lying so closely 

 one over the other as to present the appearance of 

 a solid mass. 



THE BREAM. 



There are two species of Bream which are more 

 or less generally scattered throughout the waters 

 of Great Britain, the common, or Carp Bream 

 (abramis brama), and the White Bream, or Bream- 

 flat (abramis blicca). The latter I have caught 

 occasionally, but it is a miserable, bony fish, rarely 

 exceeding one pound in weight, and almost as 

 worthless for angling as for eating. In colour it is 

 silver} 7 ", or dusky, instead of golden, but the most 

 certain distinction is to be found in the teeth, 

 situated in the throat, and which in the Bream-flat 

 are placed in two rows on each side, numbering 

 three and five respectively, whilst those of the Carp 

 Bream are placed in one row only on each side, 

 numbering five. In order to examine the teeth 

 properly the jawbone must be taken out and the 

 flesh and skin carefully removed. 



There is a third species which has been occa- 

 sionally identified by naturalists the Pomeranian 



