THE PERCH. 315 



lie may sometimes be eaten by them, his comrades wjll 

 retaliate upon the young of his destroyers. 



" The proper bait for the perch is the minnow. He 

 will take that at all seasons. In mid-summer, however, 

 he prefers the worm, at which he generally bites freely. 

 He is often taken with the grub, or with small pieces of 

 fish of any kind. 



<w He is a capital fish at all times for the table. His 

 flesh is hard and savory. He should be fried with salt 

 pork rather than butter, and thoroughly done. He 

 makes good chowder, though inferior for that purpose to 

 the black bass or the yellow pike. 



" A difference of opinion exists among our most tasteful 

 icthyophagists, as to whether this fish should be scaled 

 or skinned. Let me tell you how to skin him. Take a 

 sharp pointed knife, and rip up the skin along the back, 

 from the posterior extremity of the back fin, on one or 

 both sides of it, along its whole length then take the 

 fish firmly by the head with the left hand, and with the 

 right take hold of the skin of the back near the head, 

 first on one side arid then on the other, and peal it down 

 over the tail. This being done, all the fins are thereby 

 removed except those of the back and belly, which are 

 easily drawn out by a gentle pulling towards the head. 

 Cut oif the head, and you have a skinless, finless lump 

 of pure white flesh. Some say this is the only way a 

 perch should be prepared for the cook's art others say 

 it impairs the flavor, and should never be pursued. As 



