AND OF STILL WATERS. 79 



state of things is to keep down the numbers, 

 and to feed the survivors regularly ; under these 

 favourable circumstances the perch will grow 

 and fatten rapidly. Perch vary in weight con- 

 siderably according to the locality. On the 

 Thames a perch of 4 lbs. or 4^ lbs. is looked 

 upon as a monster and a rarity ; and even a 

 2-lb. fish is considered a very satisfactory 

 specimen. But at Slapton Lea one was taken 

 who weighed 6 lbs., his portrait and a record 

 of his weight being figured in chalk on the wall 

 of the bar-parlour. Another of the same 

 weight was caught in the Birmingham Canal. 

 Montagu mentions a perch of 8 lbs. he saw 

 taken in the Avon on a night-line which had 

 been set for pike, and another eight-pounder 

 was caught in Dagenham Breach. In the 

 Norfolk Broads perch are both numerous and 

 large. Mr. Davies says that " four-pounders 

 are frequently taken, and the Waveney produces 

 some very large ones. A 7-lb. perch was taken 

 some years ago out of the new cut from Reed- 

 ham to Maddiscoe, and others from five to six 

 pounds in weight have been taken in the Bure 



