98 A BOOK OF THE RUNNING BROOK: 



especially when he goes courting in the summer 

 time. His back is dark green, ornamented 

 with bars of yet darker shade, a yellow line 

 adorns his sides from his gill-covers to his tail ; 

 his cheeks and fins are yellow j underneath he 

 is a brilliant pink during the summer, and at 

 other times a faint yellow. As all this variety 

 of colour is united on a little body barely three 

 inches long, it is easy to imagine what an 

 ornamental little fish the Leuciscus fihoxinus 

 is. 



The minnow is very different from the 

 gudgeon in his choice of water, for while the 

 gudgeon has an unpleasant liking for sewer 

 water, the minnow is most particular that the 

 water he lives in should be clear and rapid. 

 The water of the Itchen, which runs past 

 Winchester, and is largely mixed with chalk, is 

 particularly favourable to minnows ; and the 

 Itchen minnows are said to be unusually large 

 and handsome. It was perhaps owing to their 

 being so that William of Wykeham, the founder 

 of Winchester College, was so very partial to 

 them, and had them constantly served at his 



