72 BOTTOM OR FLOAT-FISHING. 



search has thrown grave doubts upon the existence 

 of any constantly recurring hybrids among fish. 

 Without going into the general question, which 

 would be beyond the scope of this work, I may 

 mention in reference to the case in point, that the 

 , Rudd is constantly found in waters in which no 

 Bream exist, and that the Bream-flat has been re- 

 cognised only in a comparatively few rivers, whilst 

 in hundreds Roach and Bream co-exist plentifully 

 together without either the Bream-flat or the Rudd. 

 The angler is never likely to be at a loss to' dis- 

 tinguish between either of the Breams, and the 

 Roach, or Rudd, the whole type of fish, so to 

 speak, being different ; but between the two latter 

 species I have often known even old fishermen to 

 be uncertain, and therefore I will give a few of the 

 most obvious distinctive marks of the two species. 

 The prevailing colour of the Roach is silvern, 

 that of the Rudd golden, or silver with a reddish- 

 orangy tint ; the body of the Rudd is a good deal 

 deeper and flatter than that of the Roach, and the 

 head much shorter and more " chubby," being, in 

 fact, little more than three-fifths of the length of 

 that of a Roach of the same length. The most 



