AND OF STILL WATERS. 81 



parts of Germany perch are caught and carried 

 alive to market, sometimes a distance of forty 

 or fifty miles, and, if not sold, brought back to 

 their pond. 



Few better fish come to table than a good 

 river-perch. Amongst the ancients he was 

 held in high favour. Ausonius sang his praises, 

 and thus addressed him : 



"Nee te, delicias mensarum y Perca, silebo." 



Galen prescribed perch as good for invalids, and 

 another author spoke rapturously of the fish's 

 " flower-like " odour. Walton, speaking of his 

 merits, quotes the proverb, " More wholesome 

 than a perch of Rhine/' Mr. Frank Buckland 

 speaks of them as being used for "water- 

 souche," a dish beloved by most riparians, but 

 pins his own faith to perch cooked by the 

 fisherman as soon as caught, for which he gives 

 the following " excellent receipt :" 



" Take the fish as caught, not drawn or otherwise 

 cleaned, procure some stiff clay, and with it give the fish 

 a thin coating about the sixteenth of an inch thick ; 

 failing the clay, lightly envelop it in several coatings of 

 paper newspaper will answer admirably ; thoroughly 



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